Total Eclipse
by TStabler
Summary: When Elliot gets the shock of his life, his world goes dark, eclipsed by the fear and doubt that overtakes him. He turns to Olivia, who promises to be there for him. Will she be able to keep Elliot whole? Will he do the same for her in return? E/O soon
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

Olivia was perched at the coffee corner, pouring herself a mug of muddy, goopy, java, courtesy of Munch, a fellow detective. The radio was on, playing a song that she knew by heart, that spoke the words she was feeling most of the time. She was alone in the squadroom, or so she thought, so she was singing along.

"And I need you now, tonight," she sang, stirring her coffee. "And I need you more than ever, and if you'll only hold me tight, we'll be holding on forever. And we'd only be making it right, cause we'll never be wrong together." She put the milk away as she sang, "We can take it to the end of the line, your love is like a shadow on me all of the time…" she stopped when she turned toward her desk, and saw her partner sitting in his.

"Don't stop," he all but demanded.

Olivia cleared her throat, she blushed a bit but she hid it well, and she sat down. "That was mildly embarrassing," she admitted, reaching for her pen.

"You have an amazing voice, Liv," he told her. "I didn't know you could sing."

"No one does," Olivia said. "If I wanted people to know, I would have become a singer, not a cop." She began signing her reports, a bit quickly, and kept her eyes low. "What are you doing back here, El?"

Elliot sighed, leaned over to her, and said, "Couldn't sleep."

"You hauled your ass all the way back to work because of a bout of insomnia?" Olivia asked, scoffing.

"Well, first I hauled my ass all the way to your apartment," Elliot said, smirking, but when you weren't there…"

"How the hell am I supposed to help you sleep?" she asked, not getting it, raising her eyebrow. "Am I that boring?"

Elliot chuckled. "No," he said. "I just wanted to talk to you."

Olivia nodded. They hadn't really talked in a while. Not since his divorce was finalized a few weeks ago. Now that certain things were allowed to be said, they stopped talking to avoid saying them. "How are things at home? Kids adjusting?"

"Eh, kind of," Elliot said. "Kathleen hates me, Maureen hates Kathy, the twins hate each other," he said, wagging his head from side to side. "So what about you? You still seeing what's-his-name?"

Olivia chuckled. "Greg," she said.

"Right, Greg," Elliot said, though he knew exactly who he was. He'd run a background check on him. "Well?"

"No," Olivia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Yet another failed relationship…if two dates in three months is even called a relationship."

"Wait, what?" Elliot asked, interested. He liked where this was going.

"Yeah," Olivia said. "I was working a lot. Or I was with you and your kids, which he wouldn't have understood, so I told him I was working. We only really managed to go out twice. One of those two times, I got called to a crime scene and left him in the restaurant alone."

Elliot laughed. "You looked beautiful, though, showing up to the scene in that little black dress, and those red heels, with your…never mind." He cleared his throat. "He just didn't respect you enough, he didn't understand what you have to do, he didn't deserve you."

Olivia looked at him, curious.

"Just saying," Elliot muttered.

"Okay, Stabler, what about your love life?" Olivia asked, smirking. "Any prospective second wives?"

"Yeah, actually," Elliot said. He saw Olivia pale and she dropped her pen. He raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not really, uh, sure how she feels about me though."

Olivia took a breath. "You're not even with her, and you think you wanna marry her?"

"I've known for a while," Elliot said, catching her eyes. The look in them was sending a clear message; she was hoping he meant her. He could read her eyes like a book. He smiled. "I'm afraid to tell her, because what we have now, what we've had for years, is amazing and I don't want to wreck it."

Olivia held her breath, and the music flowed through her, as if sending a signal. He was talking about her, wasn't he?

"Bonnie Tyler's right, Liv," Elliot said, again, reading her thoughts through her eyes. "We'll never be wrong together."

Olivia's eyes widened. He was really talking about her. Is that what he just said? She opened her mouth to speak, but her cell phone rang. She held Elliot's gaze as she answered it, her voice slightly shaky. "Benson," she said. "Honey, where are you? Are you crying? Why are you crying?" she asked panicking and getting out of her seat. "Oh, God, we'll be right…I have to bring him! You know I do, sweetie. He won't, I promise. This isn't your…oh, my God. Well, uh, I just won't tell him that part then, but honey, stay calm. We're on our way." She tapped the button on the touch-screen to end the call and grabbed her keys, looking at Elliot. "We have to go to Mercy General, El. Now."

"We got a vic? Who were you talking to?" Elliot asked, rising from his seat.

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them slowly, reached out a hand, grabbed his, and said, "Maureen."

"Oh, God! She was raped?" Elliot asked, panic and bile rising simultaneously.

"No, no," Olivia said, shaking her head, trying to assure him that isn't what happened. "We just have to get down there. Right now."

* * *

They burst through the hospital doors, held up their badges, and Olivia, looking at the closest nurse, said, "Maureen Stabler, her room, now."

"Exam room three, but you can't…" before the nurse had finished, Olivia and Elliot were down the hall, barreling into the room.

"Olivia!" Maureen cried, leaping off the table and running to her. "Oh, God, Livia," she cried.

Olivia held on to the girl, and brushed her hair back, loosening their bond a bit to look at her. "Sweetie your father and I are here, okay? We're right here. Calm down. Tell us what happened."

Elliot's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at his daughter. She had a black eye, a split lip, bruises around her neck and her right arm was in a sling.

"I was with Nick," Maureen said, sniffling.

"I know. Liv told me that much. You know I hate that kid," Elliot seethed, pulling his daughter toward him, into a hug. "What did he do to you, baby?"

Maureen shook her head. "Nothing, Daddy," she said. "Nothing, ever, until tonight. I told him about…" she paused, looked at Olivia and said, "I told him. And he flipped out on me. He told me there was no way he was going to stay with me, and that it was my fault, and then he hit me. He just kept hitting me," she said, sobbing harshly as she fell into her father's arms.

"What did you tell him, pumpkin?" Elliot asked, keeping calm for the sake of his daughter.

Maureen looked up at Olivia, wide-eyed. "You really didn't tell him?"

"You asked me not to," Olivia said, biting her lip. "I figured it would be better coming from you."

Maureen nodded, took a deep breath, looked at her father and said, "I told him I was pregnant."

Elliot was silent, staring into his daughter's eyes, his heart breaking and cracking with each passing moment, splintering into sharp shards. "Maureen," he whispered, "Baby, my God, you're only sixteen!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Maureen sobbed. "I'm so, so, sorry!"

Elliot shook his head, pulled his daughter tighter into his arms, and sent a glance to Olivia over Maureen's shoulder. Like him, she could tell what he was thinking, what he was saying, just with his eyes. She nodded at him, giving him a small smile. She would stay with him as long as he wanted her to.

* * *

The waiting room was silent, as for the first time in his life Elliot was the parent of the victim. Munch and Fin were in Maureen's room, taking her statement, and all that could be heard from where he and Olivia were sitting was the sound of his heart beating rapidly and strongly, still panicking.

"Where did I go wrong?" Elliot asked, not expecting an answer.

"What are you talking about, Elliot?" Olivia whispered, shocked.

Elliot sniffled, trying not to cry. "When I raised my kids, Liv. I told them the truth about everything, they knew why I married their mother, they know how hard it was for us, and I was so sure that I had warned them all enough, told them all enough, taught them well enough to wait. I thought that I'd explained the dangers and the consequences, and I thought I had them all convinced that waiting until they found the right person, one they loved enough to hold onto forever…God, she's making my mistake all over again."

"You are an amazing father," Olivia told him, her voice firm as her heart weakened, She'd never seen him like this: on the verge of tears, doubting his abilities as a father, as a man. "You did do all of those things, El, you really did. I promise you that."

"Than why…and with that son of a bitch, Nick, who I expressly told her not to…" he stopped and shook his head again.

Olivia sighed, and breaking every rule in the book, she ran a hand through his hair. "She's a kid, El. Kid's are gonna disobey their parents, and make mistakes. She's young, she thought she was in love. She probably really did think that he was worth it. Also, you told her not to see him, which pretty much guaranteed that she would."

Elliot nodded, running a hand over his face. "She called you," he said, changing the subject. "She called you and not me. She told you not to tell me about the baby. What did I do to make her think that I wouldn't be there for her?"

"Nothing," Olivia said, forcefully. "El, baby, you did nothing to make her think that. She called me because we're close. Because she needed a girl, she needed a friend. And you heard her in there, she thought I told you. She knows that you and I tell each other practically everything, and she wanted to get to you through me, softening the blow. She didn't want to disappoint her daddy."

Elliot scoffed. "I'm the disappointment," he said. Then he furrowed his brow and turned his head toward her for the first time in hours. "Did you just call me 'baby'?"

Olivia tapped him in the arm lightly and gave him a stern look. "Focus!" she scolded, not wanting to admit that she did, in fact, accidentally call him "baby." She rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You are not a disappointment. You are the best father any kid could possibly have. The entire state of New York agrees, since Petrovsky gave you full custody."

"I'm just the lesser of two evils," Elliot said, shaking his head. "What am I gonna do, Livvy?"

Olivia was confused. Who the hell was "Livvy?" She had to admit, her heart leaped a bit when he called her that. It sounded like something someone who truly loved her would call her.

"I can't do this by myself," Elliot continued. "I can't take care of two teenagers, two preteens, and a baby. My baby's having a baby, Livvy! I need help here, I need…you," he said, taking her hand and squeezing. "I need you now, more than ever." He looked up at her, and the tears had finally fallen, silently sliding down his cheeks.

Olivia, both heartbroken and somehow, suddenly very happy, reached out her other hand, the one he wasn't clutching, and wiped away the tears with her thumb.

Elliot leaned his face into her touch, seemingly nuzzling her hand.

Olivia gasped softly at his actions, how different and surprising they were, and said, "You have me, El. I'm right here."

Elliot, sighing in relief, pulled her into his arms. "Thank God you are, Liv," he said, sobbing lightly into her shoulder. He wasn't sure he could handle this on his own, but her knew he could do it if he had her with him.

**A/N: A beginning? Or an end? You decide. Again, sorry if that last chapter of Alternative offended anyone. It was never intended to. I've edited it, and apologize to any reader I may have upset. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Do you need anything, sweetie?" Olivia asked, pulling the covers over Maureen. They had taken her home from the hospital, and it took everything Olivia had to keep Elliot from going with Fin and Munch to get Nick. She had to hold him back and convince him that they just needed to get Maureen home and into bed.

"I'm fine, Livia," Maureen said, yawning. "Thank you for being here."

"No where else I'd rather be," Olivia said with a smile. She brushed the blonde's hair back and kissed her forehead.

"Livia?" Maureen questioned, "Are you gonna be here when I wake up?"

Olivia was stunned. She hadn't really thought about staying the night, not in the same house with Elliot. "Do you want me to be?" she asked, feeling safer if the choice was made by someone other than her.

Maureen nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Then I will be," Olivia promised. She rose off the bed and turned out the light, not expecting to run into Elliot in the hallway. "Jesus," she whispered harshly when she bumped into him. "Sorry."

"No, it was me," Elliot said. "I was just watching you with her. You're amazing, you know that?"

Olivia looked away from him, trying not to blush, trying not to take it the wrong way. Or the right way. "She's an amazing girl, El. You know I love your kids."

"I know that," Elliot said, smiling. "Uh, you're staying, then?"

"I don't have to," Olivia said, turning back to face him as they walked down the stairs. "I can go home. Just call me before she wakes up and I'll…"

"Stay?" Elliot asked, softly. "I'd like you to stay, Liv. You gotta keep me from cracking up, here."

Olivia took a deep breath and nodded. "I think I've got clothes in the car."

"You do," Elliot said. "The bag we never unpacked from that undercover gig last month. Half of them are still clean."

"Right," Olivia said, chuckling at the memory. "Cragen failed to tell us that the rapist lived in a nudist colony. Thank god we caught him before we had to start trying to fit in."

"Wouldn't have been that bad," Elliot said, smirking. He would have loved to see her naked.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled. "You're such a guy."

"I am," Elliot admitted. "Do you want a cup of coffee? I don't think either of us are going to sleep much anyway."

"That'd be great," Olivia replied, taking a seat on the couch. "Are you okay, El?"

Elliot nodded. "I'm dealing," he said. "I wouldn't be if you weren't here, you know that, don't you? I would have broken down in that hospital. You kept me calm. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," Olivia said, reaching up to take the mug of coffee Elliot was handing her. She felt herself tense up when he sat next to her, closer than he normally would.

"I owe you a lot," Elliot said, looking into her eyes. "Really, I don't know what I would do without you, Liv," he said, his body moving ever-so-slowly toward her.

"You'll never find out, El," Olivia said, remaining perfectly still. Their lips were barely a centimeter apart, Elliot was still moving closer, his heart sped up and then stopped altogether. This was it. This was going to be epic.

"Dad?"

Olivia backed away quickly and lifted the mug to her lips, cursing the burning liquid as it slid down her throat.

Elliot turned. "Hey, Katie."

"What's Olivia still doing here?" Kathleen asked. "It's almost three in the morning."

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, she, uh, she's helping out with Mo, and she's gonna stay here for a while."

"Stay here, like, sleepover? How long is a while?" Kathleen asked, folding her arms.

"As long as I need her to," Elliot said. His eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "We, me and Maureen, and you guys. There's a lot that's gonna be happening around here, and we're gonna need help." He sounded so nervous, his voice was shaky, and his hand, usually steady, was trembling.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Dad," she said. "Where is she gonna sleep?"

"The couch," Olivia answered, her burnt tongue aching. "I'm gonna stay right here, on the couch," she said, nodding and smiling at Elliot's second oldest child.

"Good," Kathleen said. "Last thing we need around here is two pregnant girls."

"Kathleen!" Elliot gasped.

"What?" Kathleen spat. "You're telling me you're not sleeping with her?"

Elliot, shocked and slightly embarrassed, said, "No, I'm not!"

"Mom said you were," Kathleen said, grumbling.

Elliot shook his head. "Your mother lied to you, Katie. I'm not sleeping with…I'm not with…no, just…no."

"Right," Kathleen said, shaking her head. "Whatever, good night." She turned and walked back up the stairs to her room, and when Olivia and Elliot heard the door close, they both let out a harsh sigh.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked, taking the mug from her. "God, I am so sorry about that. She had no right to…"

"It's okay," Olivia said, her hand running over her lips, trying to sooth the pain in her mouth. "I know what Kathy thinks about me, and I know what she's telling your kids."

"Katie's the only one who believes her," Elliot assured Olivia.

Olivia nodded. She was thankful for the interruption. She sat, staring at the coffee mug on the table. "Well, uh, you should probably try to get some sleep."

Elliot blinked a few times, rapidly. "Yeah," he sighed. "Right. I'll go get you a blanket, and a pillow, and…I'll be right back." He got up and walked down the hall, coming back a moment later with a folded quilt, a fluffy pillow, and a pair of black sweatpants. "Here," he said. "You don't have anything to sleep in, in that bag. They'll be a little big, but they're comfortable."

Olivia nodded, then she chuckled. "Not exactly how I pictured myself getting into your pants," she joked.

Elliot laughed and widened his eyes. Then he narrowed them. "Dirty mind, Liv."

"I get it from you," Olivia said, walking into the downstairs bathroom.

Elliot sighed as he watched her go. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but he didn't think now would be a good time. She agreed to help him with this horrible situation, and he didn't want her to think that hitting on her was his way of thanking her. He gasped when she came out of the bathroom, in his pants, loosely slung on her hips. She looked oddly sexy, it must have been the fact that her legs, and other parts of her anatomy, were in his clothes, touching the same fabric that he would be wearing again, eventually.

"They're a bit large," Olivia said, tugging them up, "But you're right. They are really comfortable. Thanks."

Elliot nodded, unable to find his voice. "Good night," he croaked, finally.

"You don't have to, uh, I mean, if you want to stay out here and talk, that's okay. I'm not really tired, I just…I was worried that you might…"

"You were worried about me?" Elliot asked, his throat still dry. "Liv, I'm…" he sat on the couch, on top of the blanket. He watched Olivia walk over and sit next to him. "I'm scared," he admitted. "She's three months pregnant, and this house if just not ready for a baby, and I'm not old enough to be a grandfather. So many things could go wrong with her and the baby, because she's so young, Liv. She is so fucking young. I'm terrified."

Olivia sighed. "I know you are," she said. "I'm scared, too, believe me. I'm not sure there's anything else I can do, but tell you that you're gonna be fine. You and Maureen and this baby are gonna be just fine. It's scary, and it's a little sad, but it's…I dunno…it's kind of exciting."

"Exciting?" Elliot asked, surprised.

"A baby, El," Olivia said, awe in her voice. "A new little life, a life that your daughter created, that's got your blood running through its little veins. A new little Stabler. You'll get to teach him, if it's a boy, how to play baseball, how to ride his bike, how to be the man that you are, El. If it's a girl, you'll get to help her with piano lessons, you'll watch her in dance recitals, and teach her how to be strong and independent, and you'll teach her how to be the woman that…"

"You are," Elliot finished for her. "I'd want her to be like you. Only you would see the good in this," he said, amazed.

"I've just thought about it, a lot. How you would do it, that's all," Olivia said, suddenly looking away.

"You've thought about how I would raise my grandchild?" Elliot asked, hoping that's not what she meant.

Olivia shook her head and closed her eyes. "I thought about how you would raise…" she paused, chuckling slightly at the stupidity of her thoughts. "I want kids, El, you know that," she said, smiling. "I've always been jealous of you for that, ya know? You and Kathy had this wonderful family. I saw you with your kids, all the time. You're such a fabulous father, you are, and I found myself wishing that…if I ever had a child, that you would…"

"Help you raise it?" Elliot asked, surprised.

Olivia laughed at herself. She had actually hoped that he would be the father, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and she wasn't going to tell him her real dream. "Yeah," she said. "Something like that."

"You know I would," Elliot said, his brow furrowing. "You're not pregnant, are you?" he asked, suddenly very scared.

"God, no," Olivia said, her eyes wide. "There's absolutely no chance…no…I'm not. You're off the hook," she said with a laugh, trying to keep their mood light and playful.

Elliot let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and he chuckled. "Well, uh, in a way I'm relieved, but you know you'd be an incredible mother."

Olivia shrugged and sipped her coffee, now cool enough to drink. "I hope so," she said. "Not like I'll ever find out," she muttered, gulping the coffee again.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elliot asked, concerned.

"Face it, El," Olivia sighed. "As long as I've got this job, any chance of a successful relationship just doesn't exist. No one could put up with my hours, the cases we work on that I wouldn't be able to talk about, the days and nights I'd have to spend with you which would give any man the impression I'm sleeping with you. That's why your marriage failed, it's why all my relationships, meaningless though they were, ended. It's hopeless. Unless I start dating Fin or Munch or…I don't know…you."

Elliot stared at her, as if he expected her to sprout wings and fly away. "It's not hopeless," he said softly.

"Feels like it sometimes," Olivia scoffed, sipping the last of her coffee. She found herself yawning, despite the caffeine, and caught Elliot staring at her. "What?" she asked, folding her arms.

Saying nothing, Elliot moved the blanket, fanned it out in front of him and grabbed Olivia. He leaned back, spreading out on the couch, and pulled Olivia down with him, wrapping one arm around her and throwing the blanket over them with the other. "You're tired," he said, "And I don't wanna sleep alone tonight."

Surprised, but thrilled, Olivia relaxed and let him hold her close to him. She shifted around, making herself comfortable, and said, "Honestly, neither do I."

"Liv, what you're doing, being here with me, being here for my daughter, I don't know how to thank you," Elliot whispered to her.

"You don't have to thank me," Olivia whispered back. "You're my partner, my best friend, my…" she broke off. There was a moment of stillness, silence.

"Your what?" Elliot asked, nudging her, cupping her chin in one hand to turn her head up, forcing her to face him. "Liv?"

"My family," she whispered, her voice cracking. "My life."

The tension built again. The swirling, churning feeling in his stomach built up, the queasiness escalated in hers, as they stared, silently and sternly into each other's eyes. Elliot tugged lightly on her chin, telling her he wanted her closer. She obliged, her heart pounding. "You're my everything, Liv," he said. "That's what I was trying to tell you at the station, before Mo called. I was trying to tell you how much I…I just couldn't find the words, and then Maureen…did you just tell me you feel the same way?"

Olivia pressed her lips together tightly, closed her eyes, and nodded. She felt his lips on hers, softly kissing her, a chaste, closed mouth kiss that send shivers and heat through her body. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked scared, unsure, and afraid she was going to smack him. Instead, Olivia's eyes twinkled at him and she rested her head on his chest. "Good night, El," she whispered.

"Good night, Liv," Elliot whispered back, running his hand through her hair lovingly.

A few moments later, she heard a sniffle and popped her head back up. "El?"

He looked back at her with red, wet eyes. "What are we gonna do, Livvy?" he asked, his voice cracking. "She's just a little girl," he cried, looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh, God," Olivia gasped, wiping his eyes. "We'll get through this, I promise. It's gonna be okay. We can do this."

"We?" Elliot sniffled.

Olivia nodded. "All of us. We'll be fine. I swear, El, whatever you need, I will give or get. I'm here, in this, right here with you. So…we."

Elliot choked out a sobbing laugh. "You've already given me what I need," he said, closing his eyes and bringing her head down to rest against his. He nuzzled her nose as he cried, and she held him, running her fingers through his short hair, calming him down. Having her with him made him better, made his life a little less dark. He had no idea that he was doing the same for her.

**A/N: What had been going on in Olivia's life that Elliot's making better? How will a day of shopping and baby-planning affect them? And what will happen when they wake up in each other's arms? Find out, with reviews you shall get answers! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Liv," Elliot whispered, brushing her hair back. "Livvy, wake up."

Olivia hummed softly, rolled her head over, and blinked her eyes open. She smiled at him as her eyes focused. "Hey, El," she whispered. Then her eyes widened and she jumped off of him. "El!" she cried. "What the..."

"Liv, calm down," Elliot interrupted, grabbing her hand. "Nothing happened!"

Olivia, her hand on her chest, took a deep breath. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I'd remember that, trust me."

Elliot smirked at her. "Me, too."

"I just, uh, thought you would have gotten up," Olivia said, relaxing. "Went to, ya know, your own bed."

"I was way too comfortable," Elliot laughed. "I would have loved to stay like that all day, but we have to get the kids up and off to school. I didn't want Katie to see us..."

"Yeah, that would be bad," Olivia said, nodding. "I gotta say, though, that was the best night's sleep I've had in..."

"Ever," Elliot said. "That was the best night's sleep I've ever had."

Olivia smiled at him. "Tell me about it," she said.

Elliot got up and yelled up to the kids, then sat back on the couch, staring at Olivia, as if he couldn't believe she was there. "Cragen's not expecting us in today. Not after last night. We can swing by your apartment," he said. "Pick up some of your things. How long, uh, how long can you stay?"

"As long as Maureen wants me to," Olivia replied. "As long as, um, you want me to stay," she added, watching his eyes.

"That might be a while, Livvy," Elliot told her. He leaned in, looking into her eyes, planning to kiss her, but he stopped. "I should call Fin, later, too. See what happened with Nick."

So close to his lips, so terribly close, Olivia sucked in a breath and said, "Yeah. You should."

They moved closer to each other, but jumped apart when they heard footsteps. They turned, and saw all four kids running down the stairs.

"We're ready," Dickie said. "What's for breakfast?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "All you think about is food," she complained, then she walked over to the couch. "Good morning, Daddy," she said, hugging Elliot. "Morning, Liv," she said, giving Olivia a kiss on the cheek.

Maureen's eyes widened as she ran over and wrapped her arms around Olivia and Elliot, pulling them together. "I love you both, so much," she said. "You stayed, Liv! Thank you so much for staying," she said, looking at Olivia.

"You're welcome sweetheart," Olivia said with a soft smile, brushing the pretty blonde's hair behind her ear.

Kathleen grunted and walked into the kitchen, rolling her eyes, wishing Olivia would just leave.

Elliot looked at Olivia as the other kids walked toward the table. "Yeah, Liv," he said. "Thanks for staying." He winked at her, hoping that tonight, she'd let him hold her again.

Olivia smiled at him and got up, heading into the kitchen to start breakfast. Elliot looked on, watching her go. He smirked, feeling a bit excited that she was still in his pants.

After getting the kids off to school, Olivia and Elliot showered, separately of course, and dressed. Then Olivia looked at Elliot, leaning up against the doorway of the bathroom as he shaved. "We have to go shopping," she said.

"You are such a girl," Elliot said, parroting her gender comment from the night before.

Olivia chuckled, and said, "I meant for things for Mo. And the baby." She saw his eyes close, and he wiped his face with the damp towel beside him.

"I almost forgot about that," he admitted with a sigh. "I was hoping that it was a bad dream. Shit," he mumbled.

"Unfortunately, it's real, El. Very real. And we have to face it, and prepare for it," Olivia told him, her voice strangely comforting.

Elliot was silent. He looked at her and nodded. "Okay," he said. "You're right. The sooner the better. Let's go, then."

Olivia watched as he tossed the towel back into the sink. She followed him out of the bathroom, out of his front door, and into his car. She tried to stay calm, but she couldn't. The grin on her face was stuck there, getting bigger as she thought about holding that baby in her arms.

Elliot saw the dreamy smile on her face and he questioned, "What are you thinking about over there, Livvy?"

Olivia closed her eyes. "The crib, the changing table, the clothes we're gonna buy," she said, her voice lilting. "How cute Baby Stabler is gonna look in all of it."

"You really are trying to make me excited about this," Elliot said. "And with that look on your face, God, Liv, it's working. You like like you're the one having the baby."

Olivia opened her eyes, surprised, and said, "I'm trying to live vicariously, El." She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "This will be hard for you and the kids, I'm not saying it's not, but you're getting a gift, here."

"Liv," Elliot said, softly, knowing what she was thinking, "I know that, I just wish it wasn't Maureen."

Olivia sighed, and turned to stare out the window. "So do I," she whispered, silently wishing it was her.

They parked on a side street, got out, and walked into an upscale shop, specializing in baby furniture and designer clothes. They walked through the front, passing white wicker, dark oak and wrought iron, and when they came to the center, Olivia gasped. "Oh, my God, El, look!" she cried.

Elliot turned to see what she saw, and he smiled. He watched her running her hand slowly over the cherry wood of a beautifully carved crib. "That is..."

"Our best work," a saleslady said, stepping closer. She strolled over to Olivia and said, "Now, forgive me, but you must be shopping very early. You don't show at all! When are you due?"

Olivia blinked. "It's not for me," she whispered. She traced the intricate carving on the side and sighed. "It's so beautiful."

Elliot closed his eyes. He knew this was going to be bittersweet for her. "It's for us," he said to the woman, opening his eyes. "Look at her. She loves it, apparently. We'll take it," he said, smiling at the lady.

The saleswoman smiled back, then turned Olivia and looked her up and down. "I would kill to have your figure," she said. "You'll get it back, you know. The incredible shape you're in, you will drop the baby weight fast. I'll go get you a sales slip. I'll be right back." She walked away, smiling.

"El," Olivia said, wide-eyed, turning to him, "Now that woman thinks that I'm..."

"I really don't wanna tell people that I need baby furniture for my sixteen year old daughter," Elliot interrupted, smirking. "Trust me, I would much rather have people think you're having my baby."

"There are certain people who shouldn't think that," Olivia said with a smirk.

"Well, I'm not exactly gonna run and tell that to Munch, Fin, or Cragen," Elliot laughed. "Unless...it was true." He gave Olivia a look that scared her.

Olivia gave him a sideways glance in return. "We need a changing table," she said, changing the subject and walking away.

Elliot chuckled, taking the sales slip from the woman who just walked back toward him.

"She's going to be a great mother," the saleswoman said. "I can tell."

Elliot watched Olivia smile as she pulled open each drawer in the changing table, fingering the items that were inside as if they were porcelain. "Yes, she is definitely going to be a wonderful mother," he said, smiling. "Thanks," he told the woman. He walked over to Olivia and handed her the slip. "Look, Livvy, there's a matching rocking chair, too."

"Is Maureen really gonna sit in it?" Olivia asked, picking up the expensive baby clothes and smiling at them.

"Probably not," Elliot said. "But I will, and you will," he assumed. "We should get it."

Olivia sighed and nodded. "These are so tiny," she said. "A tiny, little person is gonna be wearing this someday."

"What's bothering you, honey?" Elliot asked her. "You're really starting to worry..."

"I couldn't do it, El," Olivia interrupted, tossing the cotton onesie back onto the table. "Dean," she scoffed. "When we were together, he wanted a baby. With me. You know I want kids. I want them more than you could possibly imagine, but I didn't want..."

"You didn't want them with him," Elliot concluded.

Olivia took a breath and said, "No, I didn't. I couldn't even sleep with him, Elliot. Every time I tried, I had to close my eyes. I always stopped him before anything even happened because I saw...I would think of..." she paused, shaking her head and trying hard to forget what she was saying. "It just wasn't him. I didn't want him."

Elliot smirked at her. "Who did you want, then? Who did you see? When you closed your eyes?" he asked her.

Olivia laughed and shook her head, taking the sales slip and a pen from Elliot's pocket. She ignored the question as she filled in the numbers for the changing table and the chair. "This is gonna cost you a pretty penny, El," she said. "Do we really need the chair?"

"Yes," Elliot said as he grabbed her arm. "Liv, we have to talk about it, ya know."

"What?" Olivia asked, pulling her arm away from him. "The chair?"

"I kissed you," Elliot whispered.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Okay, here we go. You were emotional, you were in shock, you needed some comforting, whatever, I get it."

"That's all true," Elliot said, "But that's not why I kissed you. I would do it again. I wanna do it again, Liv."

Olivia looked at him, wide-eyed. "Are you feeling okay, Grandpa?"

"For the love of God, don't call me that," Elliot groaned. "I've wanted to kiss you since I woke up with you in my arms," he told her. He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek and smiled at her.

"What's stopping you?" Olivia heard herself ask. She closed her eyes in mild embarrassment, unable to believe she had said it out loud. "Forget I asked you that," she mumbled.

"I thought you would stop me, actually" Elliot told her, furrowing his brow.

Olivia looked at him, and slowly shook her head. "I wouldn't stop you," she whispered. She looked down, then, and said, "We're good with furniture. We should probably head somewhere less expensive to get bottles, and we'll need newborn onesies. White, green, yellow, ya know? Gender neutral colors. Oh! And we have to get a mobile for the crib! Maybe Muppet Babies, or Baby Looney Tunes, or plush stars and a moon."

Elliot smiled at her and pulled her toward him. She looked up at him, questioningly. He brushed her hair back again, looking into her eyes. He moved in slowly, giving her time to pull away, and when she didn't, he pressed his lips to hers, just as chastely and gently as he had before they went to sleep. He let his lips linger on hers, brushing over them slowly as he pulled away. "Who do you see when you close your eyes, Liv?" he asked. "Because whenever I close mine, I see you."

Olivia's expression went from shock to a soft smile. She dropped her head to his shoulder and whispered, "You."

Elliot sighed and let out a soft chuckle. He kissed her forehead, and led her over to the customer service desk. As they waited for someone to help them, he pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button, the phone automatically dialing a programmed number. He grabbed Olivia's hand and squeezed, nervous about the conversation he was about to have. He waited for a moment until someone picked up. "Fin," he said into the gadget. He waited another moment, listening, then said, "No, man. Tell me everything."

**A/N: What does Fin tell Elliot? What happens with the rest of their shopping day? When Olivia goes to get her things, Elliot makes another surprising discovery, then asks a surprising question, but it's not what you think. Or is it? Review? Click below or tweet TMG212 on Twitter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

Olivia drove as Elliot talked to Fin. Seven blocks later, and Elliot finally hung up, sighing and squeezing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, refusing to cry. "What happened, El?" Olivia asked, concerned, as she stopped the car in a spot.

"He's dead," Elliot grumbled. "That fucking kid is fucking dead!"

"El, come on," Olivia said, moving a hand from the steering wheel to his shoulder. "Calm down. Talk to me."

Elliot shook his head and looked at Olivia, something in her eyes calming him instantly. "He told Fin that Maureen never really meant anything to him, it was just sex, and he couldn't be the father because he claims they were careful. He justified beating the shit out of her by believing she was cheating on him, Liv. He called her a...I'm going to fucking kill him!"

Olivia squeezed his shoulder. "El, please," she whispered. "You know Maureen has only been with him, you know this is just some punk kid trying to make his own life easier and justify his actions. What did Fin say they were doing to him?"

"Assault," Elliot said. "They're pleading him out. He admitted it, so Alex offered him three years and he has to pay Maureen's medical bills. He's giving up his parental rights, too."

Olivia tried to smile at him. "So baby Stabler never has to really know the asshole. You should be happy about that."

Elliot chuckled. "Oh, trust me, even if he didn't give up rights, he'd never see the baby." He took a deep breath, looked back at Olivia, and said, "Three years isn't enough for what he did. He destroyed my little girl's life."

"I know you don't wanna hear this right now," Olivia said, sliding her hand from his shoulder to his hand and squeezing gently, "But she made the mistake, too. This wasn't rape, she's not one of our vics, she had consensual sex, and she's just as much to blame as he is. As a father, I know you're..."

"God, you're right," Elliot interrupted. "Oh, my God, I just sounded like Kathy's father! That's exactly what he said about me!"

Olivia sighed. "At least we know he was wrong about you," she said. "You didn't destroy Kathy's life."

Elliot scoffed. "Yeah, that's pretty much the other way around." He opened his door and moved out of the car as he mumbled, "She destroyed mine."

Olivia, confused, got out of the car, too, and followed Elliot into the store. She sighed in the awkward silence as they wandered through the aisles of diapers and bottles, but she gasped and stopped when they got to the bibs. "Oh, El, look!" she cried cheerfully.

"What is it?" Elliot asked, turning around. He chuckled when he saw the bib in Olivia's hand. A white cotton bib, embroidered with blue lettering and a pair of silver handcuffs. It said, "My daddy can arrest your daddy." Elliot smiled at the look on Olivia's face, then said, "Liv, I'm not the kid's daddy."

Olivia cleared her throat. "I know," she mumbled. She flipped through the rack and said, "They have one that says 'granddaddy,' and one...one that says 'mommy." She picked up the granddaddy one, tossed it in her basket, and sighed. "These are cute, too," she said, holding up a yellow onesie that said, "Future Cop" and one that said "Give me the donut and no one gets hurt."

"Yeah, they are," Elliot said, walking over to her. "Oh, look at this one," he said, holding up a blue onesie, designed to look like a police uniform.

Olivia chuckled, took it out of his hands, checked the size, and threw it in her basket. Her eyes lit up as she saw various things, tossed them in the basket, and in moments she had Elliot laughing and excited, too.

When they had two baskets filled with stuff, they wandered up to the register, still happily laughing at some of the clothes they'd picked up, and the adorable baby animals that adorned the crib-sheet set.

The cashier looked at them as she rang up their purchases, and she said, "If you don't mind me saying this, I have never seen a couple look happier than you two. You are going to be amazing parents, I can tell."

"Uh, what?" Olivia questioned, raising an eyebrow.

The cashier smirked. Then she said, "I've been watching you two. It was kind of hard not to, with all the laughing and looks you two were giving each other. You're really excited about this baby, and that makes for great parents."

Olivia's eyes dropped for a moment, then she said, "You're, uh, wrong actually. We're not even..."

"Yeah, we're very, very excited," Elliot interrupted. He wrapped an arm around Olivia's shoulders, but felt a pang of pain when she rolled her eyes and scoffed with a smirk, pulling away from him.

They walked back to the car with their bags, tossed them into the trunk, but before Olivia walked toward the driver's seat, she turned to Elliot. "Stop doing that," she said.

"Doing what?" Elliot asked, honestly confused.

"We aren't shopping for our child, you and I aren't a couple, stop fucking telling everyone and their mother that we are," Olivia spat. "It's really getting...just stop." She turned away from him and got into the car, leaving him to sigh in realization. He'd just hurt her, deeply.

Elliot got into the car and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Liv. I didn't mean to..."

"Drop it," Olivia said, driving away. "I need to go home and get a few things. And we should stop and pick up some things for dinner. Mo's favorites, ya know, she could use a little comfort food. And we should get a pie. We need pie."

"Liv," Elliot said again, trying to get her attention, "I really am sorry. I didn't want to face the truth in there, and I didn't realize what..."

"Elliot," Olivia interrupted, harshly, "Just drop it, okay? It's fine, I overreacted."

Elliot reached for her hand, grasping it, caressing it, as he said, "You were wrong, though. That couple thing, we can work on that, right?"

Olivia looked at him, stunned, cleared her throat and drove toward her apartment.

* * *

Once inside, Olivia walked right into her bedroom and Elliot looked around, chuckling at photos and flipping through the stack of magazines on her coffee table. He stopped, pulling out a document that looked a little too official for his liking, and his eyes widened. "Hey, Liv!" he called, sounding nervous.

Olivia came out of her bedroom with a stuffed duffle bag, then walked over to him. "Yeah?" she questioned, then she saw what was in his hands. "Oh, God," she sighed, closing her eyes. "What are you doing with that?"

"What the hell is it?" Elliot asked, sounding snippy.

"What does it look like, El?" Olivia retorted, just as snippy.

Elliot flipped through the pages and said, "It looks like a huge mistake!"

Olivia scoffed. "That's exactly what I needed you to tell me, thank you," she bit, ripping the papers out of his hands.

Elliot looked up at her with pain in his eyes. "Liv, you didn't..."

"No, I didn't." Olivia ran a hand through her hair. "When I was told that I wasn't fit to adopt, I went down to the clinic at Mercy, filled these out, but I couldn't hand them in. See, like you, I realized it was a mistake. Not only would I be the world's shittiest single mother, but my kid wouldn't have any idea who its father is, and I hate having to live with that. I don't know him and it sucks, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. At least Maureen knows who fathered her child, ya know? I would have only had a ten-digit number."

Elliot sighed harshly. "Donors aren't...I mean, yeah, you should...I'm happy you didn't go through with it." He caught her eyes and she nodded in agreement. "You tried to adopt?" he asked, then.

"I filled out ten thousand forms, gave them to some girl who looked like she could be my daughter, she was that young, and she read half of the first page before turning me down. Said I couldn't provide a stable enough environment, and wouldn't be able to give the child the attention he or she deserves," Olivia explained. "They were right," she scoffed, tossing the papers into the trash bin by the door.

"They were wrong," Elliot said, emotion dripping from every word. "You are going to make an amazing mother, Livvy. And you're going to give your children everything they could possibly want. They were wrong."

Olivia smiled at him. "No, they were right," she said. "I know that I'm gonna be a great mom someday, but I realized, when I sat down and listed all of the qualities I wanted in a father on those stupid forms, that...I have someone like that in my life," she said. "I realized that I already had what I've been looking for, and it didn't feel right trying to pretend I didn't. I also realized that I can't offer a child anything right now. I would want...him...to be here, with me, do this the right way. I'm still young, ya know? I've got time. I don't need to be a mother right now."

Elliot furrowed his brow. "But you wanna be one," he said.

"Yes, I do," Olivia said. "But I want the stability first. I want the house and the husband, and I want the child to be more than just a baby, I want my child to be..."

"I know what you want," Elliot interjected. "You want a life, Livvy. A life that you, more than anyone, deserves." He brushed her hair back behind her ear, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, and held her head steady as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"You're scaring me," Olivia said, unable to tear her eyes away from his.

"I'm scaring myself, baby," Elliot said. "I really shouldn't be doing this right now. You know that, which is why you've been trying to push me away all day. You want this as much as I do. I know you do. It may not be the best time, but I think, no, I know, this is right. Right?"

Olivia cleared her throat. "Actually, it's uh, wrong. It's very wrong. We are gonna be in so much trouble."

Elliot chuckled. "Not what I meant," he said, tugging her closer. "Everything you want, Livvy, everything you think is never gonna happen for you, the life and the family that you want, well, I wanna be the one who gives it to you."

Olivia still looking into his eyes, gasped.

"You knew that," Elliot said, raising his eyebrow. "Don't look so surprised. The kisses, the things I've been saying, it's not just because...I'm not saying I'm gonna go home and knock you up tonight, I'm having enough trouble dealing with one Stabler baby right now, but what I am saying, is that I want to give this thing between you and me a real shot. I wanna be with you, Liv. Really with you." He waited, and when she said nothing, he said, "Tell me you want the same thing, Liv. Tell me that the man you wrote about on those stupid forms was me. Tell me that the guy, the guy in your life that you've been holding out for, is me. You told me this morning that you saw me when you closed your eyes, so that has to mean you're in love with me. Tell me." She was still silent, staring into his eyes. "Okay, baby, just nod."

Olivia nodded.

Elliot laughed in relief.

They moved, together, closer, and kissed. This time both relaxing into it, making it mean something more than just an acknowledgement of feelings. As Elliot's tongue ran over Olivia's lips, and she opened up to him, it became so much more than that. This was a realization of them, admittance of real love and desire and passion for each other, real truth and trust and loyalty. Olivia's arms moved to his back, and the kiss deepened, even more. Only stopping and pulling away when neither could breathe, they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Hi," Olivia said, the only word she could process as her brain had stopped functioning.

Elliot chuckled softly. "Hey, baby," he whispered, nuzzling her nose.

"You're sure about this?" Olivia asked, still scared. "Really?"

"More sure than I have ever been about anything," Elliot said, pecking her lips. "There's no one else for me, Liv. No one else I would rather have a real life with, who I would rather have me help raise my children, and my grandchild, and, yeah, when we're ready, a few kids of our own." He kissed her again. "No one else I would rather have love me, Livvy," he whispered, "Like I love you."

Olivia felt the tears, and did nothing to stop them. Elliot brushed them away with his thumbs as she whispered, "I love you." She pecked his lips gently, pulled away, grabbed her bag, and said, "Grandpa." She winked at him, sniffled, and opened her door.

Elliot chuckled. "I should probably get used to that," he said.

"You don't have a choice," Olivia said, smirking. "But I know what will make you feel better."

"You and me, naked, in the shower," Elliot teased, running a hand down her back as they walked down the hall to the elevator.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, there's that. But, think about this, El." She paused stepping into the elevator, and when Elliot stepped next to her she said, "You may be a grandfather, but that means that now Kathy is somebody's grandmother."

Elliot looked at her for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter, making Olivia laugh with him as the silver elevator doors closed in front of them.

**A/N: What happens when Olivia and Elliot cook dinner together? Someone catches them in a kiss, but who, and how do they all react? And what will Kathy say when she finds out she's gonna be a grandma?** **Review here, or tweet TMG212 on twitter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

Olivia walked in a step ahead of Elliot, as he was holding the door for her. "Hey, guys!" Elliot called into the house, "We're home!"

Dickie, on the couch playing video games, yelled back, "Hi, Dad! Hey, Liv!"

"Hi, Liv, Dad," Lizzie said, not looking up from her book.

Maureen smiled as she saw Olivia. "Oh, Liv!" she cried, throwing her arms around her.

Olivia, stunned, couldn't hug her back because of all the bags, so she simply said, "Hi, honey."

Kathleen stood, at the foot of the stairs, her arms folded, and said, "You actually said, 'We're home'? This is her home now?"

"Katie," Elliot said, narrowing his eyes.

"No, Dad," Kathleen said, holding up a hand, "Is Olivia moving in? You are sleeping with her, aren't you? God, mom's only been gone for, like, a month!"

Olivia looked at her, then shot a warning glance at Elliot. She pushed Maureen back gently and said, "I'll go start dinner."

Elliot watched Olivia carry the bags into the kitchen and he walked over to Kathleen. "Kat, I told you, I am not sleeping with Liv. I don't know what...what's going on with us...but she's staying here to help me, and help Maureen. Because whether you like it or not, we need help. I can't do this by myself, I can handle the four of you...but Mo, having a baby, that's..." he stopped talking.

Kathleen saw the tears in his eyes and sighed. "Oh, Daddy," she said, hugging him. "It's gonna be okay. We don't need Olivia, I'll help you. Or we could ask Mom..."

"I don't want your mother...no, Kit-Kat," Elliot told her. "I don't...I'm not in love with your mother anymore, you have to understand that. Things are over between us, and we are never getting back together."

Kathleen sighed, seemingly in defeat. "Okay, so we don't have to call Mom. But we can tell Olivia to go home, can't we?" She saw the look on her father's face. "Can't we?" she asked, more frantic.

"Kit-Kat," Elliot said, brushing her blonde hair back, "Maury really wants Liv here. And so do I, so could you try to be nice to her? I thought you loved Olivia. What's the problem?"

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "I loved her when she was just your partner, ya know? Now she's trying to steal my family, take Mom's place, everything Mom said she was gonns do the second you were single, and I hate her."

"Oh, Kit-Kat," Elliot said, kissing her on the forehead, "Olivia is not trying to steal your family, or take your mother's place. She's here because I asked her to be here, I want her here, so I'm asking her to be a part of the family, and...we were never just partners. After everything she's done for you...you really hate her?"

Kathleen looked up at her father. She dropped her eyes, sighed, then looked up at him again as she said, very severely, "Yes." She kissed her father on the cheek and said, "Call me when dinner's ready. You. Not her." She turned and ran up the stairs.

Elliot sighed in defeat, then headed toward the kitchen. He saw Olivia chopping veggies and stirring a pot of pasta, and he smirked. "Olivia Benson has a domestic side. Who knew?"

"Hey," Olivia said, pointing her knife at him. "I spent fifteen years cooking for a woman who couldn't stand up straight. I know my way around a kitchen. Wait till you taste this stuff, you're gonna wanna marry me."

Elliot smirked. "Already do, pick a different consequence," he said, playfully swatting her ass.

Olivia chuckled and turned back to her chopping. "Make yourself useful, Stabler. Put that steak in the pan."

"This is the oddest meal I think I'm ever gonna eat," Elliot said, tossing the cubes of meat into the hot frying pan, hearing it sizzle and sear. "Stir-fry, macaroni and cheese, and waht did we get? Apple pie?"

"Apple for you, because you whined until you got it, you giant four-year-old," Olivia said, returning his playful butt-slap, "And cherry for Maureen."

"Like I said," Elliot said, "Odd meal."

"Odd for someone who is not craving salty, cheesy, beefy, sweet, and spicy at the same time."

"Could have just gotten her a burrito," Elliot said, popping a raw pepper into his mouth.

"These are Maureen's two favorite foods, you ass," Olivia laughed, raising her arm to slap him in the arm, but he laughed, too, grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. He crashed his lips into hers, not giving her time to think about it or anticipate it. She moaned, dropping her hands to his shoulders, then they slowly worked their way up around his neck.

The food lay forgotten as they lost themselves in a deep, soulful kiss, and they only broke apart when the surprised voice from the doorway interrupted them.

"Oh, Mylanta!"

Their lips parted, their arms stayed locked around each other. Olivia's eyes were wide, her lips had pressed themselves together. Elliot looked smug and very proud of himself. "Hey, munchkin," he said.

"We're you two just...you were just...you were not examining her tonsils, were you? You were totally just..."

"Yes, Lizzie," Elliot said, "We were kissing."

Lizzie laughed. "That is so cool," she said. "So are you guys, like, dating now?"

Olivia wriggled out of Elliot's grasp and turned her attention back to the food, turning the meat and adding the vegetables, swatting Elliot's hand away as he reached for a mushroom.

"Well," Elliot said, reaching his arm around Olivia from the other end and grabbing a sliced pepper, laughing when Olivia shot him a glare, "I don't know."

"How do you not know, Daddy?" Lizzie asked, folding her arms.

Elliot bit into the pepper, shrugged, and said, "Adults don't really label things like this, munchkin. We're just, uh, gonna let it happen. See where it goes."

Lizzie gasped. "Liv is totally gonna be my stepmother."

"What?" Olivia said, shocked.

Elliot laughed. "Honey, no, well, maybe. Probably. Look, munchkin, maybe, for now, just don't..."

"I'm not gonna tell anyone what I saw," Lizzie promised. "Oy! Especially Kathleen. I don't wanna start World Wars Three and Four."

"Thanks, munchkin," Elliot said, smiling at his youngest daughter.

"Oh, hey, Liv!" Lizzie called.

Olivia turned around, still embarrassed, and said, "Yeah, Lizzie."

"It smells wonderful in here," the little girl said, smiling brightly. She grabbed a can of soda, why she'd gone into the kitchen, then left, skipping into the living room.

Elliot turned to look at Olivia, saw her stirring the milk and butter into the macaroni and cheese and he pulled her toward him again.

She pushed him away, wide-eyed. "El, knock it off! We're damn lucky that wasn't..."

Elliot pressed his lips to hers, smirking against them. "You talk too much sometimes," he whispered, kissing her again. He pulled back, opened the refrigerator and put the milk and cheese away. "Need anything else?"

"Yeah," Olivia said. "A reality check."

"What does that mean?" Elliot asked, closing the fridge and looking at her as she stirred the food.

Olivia chuckled. "Is this really happening? You and me? Us? My one rule has always been..."

"Don't fall in love with people you work with," Elliot finished for her, "But that was only your excuse to get rid of Brian Cassidy. And, I'm hoping, what you told yourself to keep you from making a move on a married man, at least until that man suddenly ditched the blonde. Am I right?"

Olivia looked at him, surprised.

"I know you, Liv," Elliot said, kissing her forehead. "I know you, and I love you. And this is really happening."

* * *

They had sat down to dinner, passing around the food, making sure everyone had been served. They had just started eating, taking the first few scrumptious bites, when Kathleen opened her mouth.

"So you're going home after dinner, right, Olivia?" the middle child asked.

Maureen gasped. "No! You can't! I need you here, Liv!"

"Oh, stop whining, Maureen!" Kathleen spat. "You were mature enough to have sex with that idiot boyfriend of yours, you were adult enough to get knocked up, you should be mature enough to handle this by yourself! You don't need Olivia!"

"Kathleen!" Elliot yelled, watching his over-emotional, hormonal daughter burst into tears over her macaroni. "Enough! Liv is staying as long as I sat she is, you're the one who needs to grow the hell up!"

Kathleen rolled her eyes and got up. "Dinner sucked," she spat as she bolted from the room and ran up the stairs.

Maureen got up, too, and ran over to Olivia, throwing her arms around her. "Don't leave," she cried. "Please don't leave."

"Oh, Mo, honey," Olivia sighed, this time her arms were free to wrap around her. She squeezed. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise." She looked up at Elliot, worried, and met his pained, scared expression.

This was worse than he thought, and he needed her more than he realized. He raised his eyes to the ceiling, sighing at the thought of Kathleen, and shook his head. Making a decision that he knew would only piss Kathleen off more, he dropped his gaze back to Olivia. He needed her close, he needed her to comfort him when he broke down, which he knew he would tonight. Tonight, she would sleep in the bed. His bed. With him.

**A/N: A night in bed together? Will it lead to anything? How will Olivia and Elliot handle his breakdown? Why is Maureen so attached to Olivia? More? You tell me! Here, or on Twitter TMG212**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A night in bed together? Will it lead to anything? How will Olivia and Elliot handle his breakdown? Why is Maureen so attached to Olivia?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Liv," Maureen said, looking into her mug of warm milk, "If I'm keeping you from something...I mean, I know you had that date..."

"No, honey," Olivia said, sitting on the edge of Maureen's bed. "There's nowhere in the world I would rather be. You know that. I've told you that. If one of you needs me, then I'm right here."

Maureen smiled. "I need you," she said. "I know you're wondering why I need you, and not my mother," she said quietly. "Could you imagine Kathy Stabler holding me while I cry? Comforting me while I babble about making a huge mistake and convincing me it's going to be okay? Because I can't."

Olivia made a face, but made an effort. "She's your mother, Maur. She would..."

"She wouldn't," Maureen said, shaking her head. "She would think I'm just like her. She would look at me, and see her, and she would resent me, and she would just walk away. Why do you think I asked Daddy to tell her when I'm not even there? Why I didn't even want her there at the hospital?" She looked into Olivia's eyes. "You handle things like this all the time, I've seen it. I...I actually expected to feel...like one of your victims. I don't."

"Honey..." Olivia began.

"I feel like you...love me," Maureen said, "Because I really do love you. You've always been there when I needed you. When all of us needed you. Especially my dad. But if this starts to get in the way of your life..."

Olivia interrupted her this time. "You, your brother and sisters, and your father are my life. I'm here, as long as you need me here," she said. She brushed her hair back, and kissed her forehead. "Drink your milk, honey. I'll be back to check on you in an hour, okay?"

Maureen nodded. She kissed Olivia on her cheek, rolled her eyes and said, "Goodnight, Daddy."

Elliot poked his head in, from the door outside of which he'd been listening. "Good night, pumpkin." He reached out for Olivia's hand as Maureen took another sip of her milk, put her mug down on her bed-side table and dropped her head to the pillow. Olivia took Elliot's hand, her heart momentarily stopping, and she rose off the bed. Elliot flicked out the light and led Olivia out of the room. He gently closed the door, walked her a few feet down the hall, and said, "I called Kathy."

"And..." Olivia said, silently screaming because he was still holding her hand. The newness and excitement of this was still getting to her. No one had ever gotten to her this way before.

"And," Elliot said, stroking the side of her hand with his thumb, "She isn't happy. She is absolutely refusing to be called 'grandma.' She said she is way too young for this and wants to be called, 'Aunt Kathy."

Olivia scoffed. "You're kidding," she said, her eyes narrow. "Tell me you're kidding."

Elliot ran his free hand down his face. "She blames me for not keeping a closer eye on Maureen, even though this happened during her weekend with them, and she is demanding that Maureen not visit during her third trimester because she doesn't want her neighbors gossiping, and she doesn't want to be reminded of the pain she felt when she was going through it. She's being ridiculous."

Olivia pulled her hand out of Elliot's and turned. She stormed down the hall, but Elliot's voice stopped her.

"Do not go beat the shit out of my ex-wife," Elliot ordered.

Olivia stopped, turned, and raised her eyebrow. "One reason I shouldn't. Ten seconds."

"I'm not explaining to Maureen that you're not here because you're in jail for assault," Elliot said, raising an eyebrow right back. "And I'm not explaining to Cragen why I put up my house as collateral to bail you out."

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "That was two reasons," she said, walking back toward him.

Elliot chuckled. "I know. And they were pretty damn good, huh?"

"I hate your ex-wife," Olivia said, taking in a sharp breath when Elliot pulled her into his arms, forcing her head to his shoulder.

"So do I," Elliot said quietly, running his hand through her hair. "That's kind of why we got divorced." He kissed her forehead and siad, "One of the reasons, anyway. She, uh, talked to Katie. Katie told her you were here. She laughed and said the kid was more than welcome to call you 'grandma."

Olivia groaned into the crook of Elliot's neck, sending vibrations and heat throughout his body. He closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. This was not the time to turn the situation into a sexual one. He knew that, but his body didn't. "This just keeps getting better," Olivia said. "Did she say anything to Katie? Anymore venom spouting?"

Elliot cleared his throat and tried to shift Olivia over so she wouldn't feel him, he didn't want to shock or offend her. "She told Katie you had a tattoo of my name on your ass," her said. "That got to Katie, she asked her mother when she had ever seen your ass. Kathy couldn't answer her." He chuckled. "Liv, baby, I told Kathy I wanted you here as much as Maureen did, and if she kept filling the kids heads with lies about you I'd have her arrested for verbally assaulting an officer."

"You can't do that," Olivia said, sinking into him. She felt him. All of him. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him. But the time wasn't right. Not at all.

"I know that," Elliot said, kissing Olivia's temple. "But Kathy doesn't." He pulled away from her and kissed her forehead, winked at her, then took a breath. "I don't..." he stopped. He shook his head. "Forget it." He walked further down the hall, away from her.

"What is it?" Olivia asked, following in his direction. She watched him grab the extra pillow out of the linen closet.

Elliot turned to her and sighed. "I don't wanna be alone," he said. He shrugged and scoffed. "I don't wanna sleep on that couch again, either. I wanna sleep in my bed...but not...alone. It sounds silly, but I don't think...would you...just...Liv?" He looked at her, nervous, bumbling. He was hoping she would understand, and answer without making him ask.

Olivia took the pillow out of his hands. She took a step toward him, looking into his eyes, and took his hand. She pulled lightly, getting him to follow her, and he did, wordlessly. She led him down the stairs and down the hall, stopping in front of his bedroom door. She tilted her head toward the door and looked at him.

Elliot turned the knob, opening it, and flicked on the light, and let her in first.

Olivia tossed her pillow onto the bed, still silent, pulled open Elliot's top drawer, finding a pair of his boxers and a white tee-shirt. She sent him a glance, silently asking if it was okay.

Elliot nodded.

Olivia smiled at him and walked into his bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Elliot plopped onto his bed and let out the breath he'd been holding. He was going to sleep with Olivia wrapped in his arms for the second night in a row. Only tonight they'd be in a bed. They could move in his bed. When he cried tonight, the kiss she would give him to comfort him, might very well lead to something else. He smirked and rolled his eyes at himself. "I really am such a guy sometimes," he mumbled to himself. He got up and changed, waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. He pulled off his shirt and changed into sweats, and pulled down the bedsheets just as the bathroom door opened.

Olivia emerged, wearing Elliot's boxers and one of his plain, white tees, and his jaw dropped. "Okay," she said, turning her head, looking over her shoulder. "What?" she asked.

Elliot smirked. He took a step toward her. "You are...I mean, you're always gorgeous, but right at this moment, you're, like, every man's fantasy." He ran his hands down her arms and looked into her eyes. Something in them brought him out of the moment and back to his reality. "Why couldn't it have been you, Liv?" he asked with a sigh. He shook his head, dropped back down to the bed with his head in his hands and said, "Why?"

Olivia was confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked, sitting next to him. "You want me to be the one having the baby?"

Elliot chuckled. "No," he said. "Well, maybe. If it was...ya know, mine, but...why couldn't you have been there, from the beginning. You wouldn't be denying your grandchild, blaming your own daughter, refusing to see her. You wouldn't be too busy to stop by and see her, you wouldn't be too involved with your job to give a damn about your kids, you wouldn't be..."

"I wouldn't be your ex-wife," Olivia said, not thinking. Her eyes widened. "I mean...what I meant..."

"You're right," Elliot said, sighing again. He leaned back and moved over, watching intently as Olivia climbed into the bed beside him, placing her pillow on top of the one already in the bed. "You wouldn't be," he continued. "If it had been you, we'd still be together. I know that. You are nothing like Kathy. You are so...selfless. So giving. Baby, my kids...they aren't even yours and you have gon out of your way, thousands of times, to help them. And now this? You're amazing. So amazing. So...you really had a date? What date?"

Olivia laughed. "I knew we'd find a way back to that, eventually," she said. "I had a date, El. I was asked on a date about a week ago, and I was going to go. Clearly, I didn't go, but Maureen knew about it. She told me what dress to wear, how I should do my makeup. She was very excited."

"When?" Elliot asked. "When were you supposed to go? Who with?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Last night," she said. "A doctor, don't worry about it. Obviously, I'm done dating."

"Damn right you are," Elliot said. "What doctor?"

Olivia laughed. "Don't worry about it, El," she said. "I told him I couldn't see him, that since he'd asked me out, I met someone. Can we please just go to..." she broke off as she felt him tug her roughly into his arms.

Elliot wrapped himself around her and sighed into her, deeply inhaling her scent and saying a muffled, "I love you."

Olivia sighed right back. She ran her hand through the back of his head and said, "I love you, too," in a soft whisper.

And there it was.

The words.

They had been said.

Out loud.

And after the realization had sunk in, after Olivia had let the notion that her partner, her best friend, had just told her he loved her and she had told him right back, he felt him lightly sobbing into her chest. "El, honey," she sighed, "You know it's gonna be okay."

"I don't know that," Elliot whispered. "I know, because you're here, that things are okay for the moment, for now. Liv, baby, I don't know what's gonna happen when she starts really going through all the things that come along with having a baby. She needed her mother and Kathy...a girl is supposed to need her mother," he said. "My daughter needs you."

Olivia scratched the back of his neck lightly. "She has me, El. I'm not going anywhere."

Elliot scoffed. "This isn't gonna scare you off?" he asked. "We haven't even gone on a date yet, and you're helping me put together a nursery in the morning. Fuck, Olivia, this baby is gonna think your its grandmother because it has to...Jesus Christ. 'Aunt Kathy?' Is she fucking serious? Who does that?" Elliot sniffled and wiped his eyes, but didn't pull away from Olivia.

"My mother," Olivia said.

"What?" Elliot said, his head tilting up. "You had a..."

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. "I told you I had a pregnancy scare in college," she sighed.

Elliot nodded. "You also told me that when you found out you weren't, you swore off sex for the next three years. You were scared shitless." He chuckled,

"Yeah, well, can you blame me?" Olivia shrugged. "Anyway, when I thought I might have been pregnant, the only person I really thought I could tell was my mother. We were going through one of our 'Hey, wow, we're okay," periods, so I thought it was gonna be good, ya know? So I told her, and she looked at me, and she scoffed and..." she paused, she took a breath. "I will never forget what she said."

Elliot looked up at her, brushed her back, and said, "What, baby?"

Olivia looked back at him. "She looked at me and said, 'Don't expect me to let it call me 'Grandma.' She took a swig of whatever was in that damn glass and said, 'It'll call me Aunt Serena and that's that, and could you maybe not come back home until it's born? The neighbors already think you're a slut, don't need to prove them right."

"Damn," Elliot whispered, pulling her head down to his. "Your mother, Liv, will never know what she gave up."

"Just like Kathy has no idea what she's giving up," Olivia said, her nose rubbing softly against Elliot's. "What she's already lost."

Elliot moved his head and claimed her mouth with his, kissing her. He cupped her face, moving his legs, wrapping them around her. Olivia smiled against his lips, letting out a soft moan. Elliot pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, rolling onto his back and letting Olivia roll on top of him. She more than willingly sunk into him, as his arms wound around her back, running up and down her body. She groaned as she pulled away from him, and breathlessly said, "Shit. I have to check on Maureen."

Elliot shook his head and pulled her back down. "Five more minutes," he whispered, pecking her with kisses.

Olivia laughed. "If I go now, when I come back, we will have all night to..."

"I'm coming with you," Elliot said, rolling them both off of the bed onto their feet. He took her hand and led her, as they laughed like teenagers with a secret, up the hall, but stopped when they came to the stairs. "Katie," Elliot said, his laughs stopping.

Kathleen looked at Olivia and Elliot, then folded her arms. "What...okay, so when I saw she wasn't on the couch I thought she finally went home. Are those your...is she wearing your underwear, Dad?"

"She's just sleeping in...I only wear them to sleep in," Elliot defended. "I already told you. She's not going home. What are you doing? Why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," Kathleen said. "Maureen is throwing up and it's driving me nuts."

"Oh, God," Olivia said, dropping Elliot's hand and running passed Kathleen up the stairs.

"Dad," Kathleen said, glaring at Olivia as she passed, "Hasn't it been long enough? She's still here, after dinner? What's it gonna take to get her to go home? When is she leaving?"

Elliot ran a hand down his face. "Sit down, Kit-Kat," he said, heading toward the couch. "We need to talk."

**A/N: What does Elliot tell Kathleen? How does she react? Do Maureen and Olivia have a "moment" in the bathroom, as Maureen deals with morning sickness in the middle of the night? Elliot also finally gets the reactions from his other kids. Next chapter requires reviews. Here or on Twitter. Follow TMG212. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: We all make mistakes, and we try, as adults, to ensure that our children don't follow our path, and make the same errors. Sometimes, trying isn't enough.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

Elliot sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him, running his other hand down his face as Kathleen grumpily took the seat. "Honey, Olivia and I..."

"You're sleeping with her," Kathleen accused, interrupting.

"No," Elliot scoffed. "Well, in the same bed, yes. Tonight. But I'm not...Kit-Kat, we aren't...I didn't..." he sighed again, wondering why this was so hard. "Look, Olivia and I are trying to figure out if...what exactly is going on between us." He brushed his daughter's hair back and continued. "We're not really focusing on us right now."

Kathleen raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?" she asked. "Us? There's a 'you,' you're an 'us?"

Elliot shrugged. "She's staying here to give me a hand with...all of this," he said, gesturing to the area around him. "We're taking of you guys, and Maureen. She's helping us out for a while, and when that's all taken care of, ya know, when the baby's here and healthy, then we'll...figure 'us' out. It's still really new for both of us, and I know it's not a terrific time to dive into a relationship, so..."

"It's a horrible time," Kathleen said, her arms crossed. "You...wait...you weren't cheating on Mom, were you?"

Elliot shook his head and smiled slightly. "No, Kit-Kat. You might not believe me, but I did love your mother, very much. We just became different people. A long time ago, Katie, she met someone else. We both did, and we wanted to end things before we ended up really hurting each other." He eased Kathleen's head down onto his shoulder and said, "What your mom has been telling you about me and Liv, that's her way of trying to make this less her fault and more mine, so you guys don't hate her for not fighting for you. I've got full custody, you see her one weekend a month, and she's pissed. She wants you guys to be mad at me, too, and she really wants you to hate Liv as much as she does." He kissed Kathleen's forehead and whispered, "I swear to you, I never even so much as kissed Olivia until now."

Kathleen's head popped up. "Do you love her?" she asked, a slightly bitter tone in her voice.

Without hesitation, without even thinking, Elliot answered, "Yes."

"More than you loved Mom?" Kathleen asked, her eyes turning grey and cold.

Elliot sighed and poked his tongue into his cheek, nodding.

A huff and a low grumble came from Kathleen as, through a clenched jaw, she said, "Does she love you?"

"Hope like hell she does," Elliot whispered with a smile. "She does. I know she does," he said louder. "She loves you guys, too. She wouldn't be here if she didn't. Could you, please, try to be nicer to her while she's here? For me?"

Kathleen smirked at him. "I'll do ya one better, Dad. How about I just ignore her?" She got off the couch and ran up the stairs, nearly knocking Olivia down them. "See how easy that was?" she yelled as she slammed the door to her bedroom shut, closing herself off for the night.

"Goodnight, Katie," Olivia whispered, her eyes closing in defeated pain. "Guess your little chat didn't have the desired magical effect of making her love me, huh?" she asked, walking the rest of the way down the stairs.

Elliot stood and walked over to her, ignoring her question. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "How's Maury?" he asked, running a hand down her arm.

"Pregnant," Olivia said. "Showing all the signs. She just got a little sick, El. It's called 'morning sickness' but it can, and usually does, hit in the middle of the night. I told her to yell if she needed anything, tucked her in, and she's asleep now."

Elliot dropped his head to Olivia's. "This is really fucking happening," he whispered. "I keep hoping this is all just a really bad dream."

"All of it?" Olivia asked, looping an arm around his neck. She kissed the end of his nose.

Elliot chuckled. "Well, the fact that you're here, with me, like this, really makes me believe I'm dreaming." He kissed her lips, smiling against them, and nudged her toward the bedroom.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened with Katie now?" Olivia asked, eying him carefully.

Elliot sighed. "You really couldn't just ignore it?"

"Nope," Olivia said, crawling into Elliot's bed and scooting over. She had watched him in the cribs at work enough to know that he had a 'side of the bed,' and she was giving it to him.

Elliot smirked at her as he realized what she was doing, and he crawled into the bed, too, settling into his spot. He reached out ang grabbed her, pulling her close. "She's not taking this too well, and I don't know why. She thinks ignoring you is actually better than trying to be nice, she thinks we're sleeping together, she thinks we were having an affair, and I explained everything to her, Liv," he told her softly. His face was so close to hers; their noses were touching and his breath was hot and minty, sending shivers up her spine. "She wouldn't talk to me," he admitted. "Not really. Except to ask me if...if I loved you."

"And your answer made her run up the stairs like that?" Olivia asked, her fingertips grazing the back of his neck.

"Well, yeah," Elliot said. "The answer was yes, Liv. I told her I loved you. I told her...I told her you loved me, and that's when she flipped and took off."

Olivia's smirk disappeared. She closed the gap between them, kissing them again, and she said, "We can worry about it tomorrow, El. You need to get some sleep."

"So do you," Elliot said with a yawn. "Is Cragen mad that we're not..."

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head, nuzzling his nose as she did it. "He's concerned. He's worried about you and Maureen, but he's not mad, El. He understands. He told you to take to all the time that you need, and he knoew I was gonna take it, too, to help you. It's okay, since neither one of us has taken a vacation in..."

"Ever," Elliot chuckled. "You've got enough time saved up to take off for the next three years, and I could probably take a good five months."

"As nice as that sounds, I think the most we can manage is the rest of the weekend," Olivia said with a laugh.

Elliot sighed. "Yeah," he yawned. He kissed Olivia, softly running his tongue over her lower lip, making it a real, slow, sweet kiss. He worked their bodies closer and pulled her tighter to him and finally pulled away from her mouth. "Goodnight, baby," he whispered, lying flat on his back, his head flopping into his pillow.

Olivia smiled as her head found it's way to his chest. "Goodnight," she whispered back to him, and in seconds, they were both fast asleep.

* * *

"Olivia," a soft voice called, wiggling her body out of it's most restful sleep ever. The bed definitely beat the couch, and something about sleeping in Elliot's arms kept her calm, peaceful, and happy. "Liv," the voice called again, shoving her a bit harder.

"Hmm," Olivia moaned, a smile on her face, as her eyes finally opened. "Maur?" she questioned, meeting the worried gaze of Maureen, leaning over the bed. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"My stomach hurts," Maureen said. "I think something's wrong. Like, really wrong!"

Olivia sat up, wide awake now, and exhaled sharply. She got out of the bed, leaving Elliot to roll over and groan at the loss of her warmth and the feel of her against him. "Honey," she said, resting both hands on Maureen's shoulders, "What kind of pain is it?"

"Like, I have to...go...but I can't..." Maureen said, slightly embarrassed. The way she said it and the look on her face, it all reminded Olivia that she was still a child and shouldn't be in this situation.

"Come with me," Olivia said, slightly relieved. She led Maureen into the hall, then into the kitchen. "Sit, sweetie," she said, flicking on the light. She walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal. She grabbed a bowl and a spoon, then got the milk out of the fridge. She plopped everything down on the table in front of Maureen.

"Olivia," Maureen said, clutching her belly, "My stomach hurts, and you want me to eat Dad's cereal? This stuff tastes like cardboard."

Olivia laughed and said, "Honey, you need to eat more fiber. You're just a little, uh, backed up. It's common, it's normal, you're fine. There's nothing wrong with the baby, sweetie."

"So, I eat Daddy's stupid bran flakes and I'll feel better?" Maureen asked, pouring the cereal into the bowl.

Olivia chuckled. "Not right away, but yes," she said. "You have to eat this every day, and eat more fruits and vegetables, and you'll feel a lot better. This won't happen again."

Maureen poured the milk, then shoved her spoon into the bowl. She took a bite, made a face, and chewed, asking with a full mouth, "Liv, how do you know so much about this stuff? You don't have kids, and not many of your friends do. You're an only child, and we were alreadl all born when you met Dad."

Olivia sighed and looked away from Maureen as she put away the milk. "I read a lot," she said.

"You have odd taste in books," Maureen said with a laugh when she swallowed. She took another bite and asked, "Seriously, Liv, why don't you have kids? You'd be an amazing mother."

Olivia's eyes closed and her breath hitched as she closed the door to the fridge. "Maury, honey, I want kids," she said. "I really do. It just was never the right time for me to have them, and I was never with the right guy...I mean...until now."

"You mean Dad?" Maureen asked, chewing, smirking and wagging her eyebrows.

"Who else would she mean, stupid?" Kathleen said, wandering in with the same chip on her shoulder that had been there for the past two days. "She's really sinking her claws in, isn't she?" she spat with an evil sounding scoff. "Move," she huffed, nudging Olivia away from the fridge door. She pulled the milk back out and then moved to the cabinet, getting the sugary, marshmallow cereal out of it.

Maureen chewed and swallowed another spoonful of oat bran and said, "Geez, Katie! Rude much? I think it would be kinda cool if Dad and Liv had a kid."

"Only because your little rugrat would have someone to play with," Kathleen retorted, pouring her cereal. "You don't understand that once they have their own family, Dad's gonna ship us back to Mom. He's not gonna want us when he has his perfect little half-Bensons. Just like he's always wanted." She shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth and grumbled, "She wouldn't even be here if you hadn't..."

"If you finish that sentence you are going to be in so much trouble," Elliot said, walking into the kitchen. "And absolutely nothing of what you just said was true. I want you, all of you, more than anything, Katie. Would I love to have kids with Olivia? Yeah, if we even...we've only been together for three days, barely, so that's reaching," he said. "When and if that happens, Kathleen, it's only going to make this family bigger. It's not going to be a separate one, or split ours up. Where did you...God, have you been talking to your mother again?"

"No, Dad," Kathleen said, shaking her head and grabbing her bowl. "That was all me." She glared at Olivia then at her sister. "Just have your stupid kid so Olivia can leave, will you?" she asked, shaking her head. She left the kitchen, then carried her cereal up to her room, slamming her door behind her.

Maureen swallowed then looked at Olivia. "You're not gonna leave when I have it, are you?"

Olivia looked at Elliot, who looked at her with sad, dark blue eyes. "Liv, I..."

"Eat something," Olivia said, pushing the two boxes of cereal toward him. She tried to smile at him and said, "We have a nursery to put together." She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip and walked out of the kitchen, knowing that after that dark morning, the day could only get brighter.

**A/N: Building a nursery together brings Olivia and Elliot closer, and a phone call from Cragen to check in leaves him asking questions. Too many questions. And Kathleen overhears Olivia saying/doing something that begins to change her mind. Next, if you'd like to read it, I will post it. =) Lemme know here, or on Twitter. Follow TMG212 =) Thanks for reading. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Building a nursery together brings Olivia and Elliot closer, and Kathleen overhears Olivia saying/doing something that begins to change her mind. But was it all planned?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Are you sure you're doing that right?" Olivia asked, smirking, as Elliot tried to put the crib together.

"I've had four kids, Liv," Elliot answered. "I know how to put...okay, where does this go?"

Olivia chuckled, took the wooden piece from him, and put it where it belonged on the crib. "See, you should really let me help you," she said with a sigh. "Or at least read the directions."

Elliot smirked and pulled her close to him. "I'm a man," he whispered. "I don't need directions. For anything."

"Yeah?" Olivia teased.

"Yeah," Elliot shot back. He moved closer, brushing his lips against hers, and she pressed into him, making the kiss deep and powerful.

Olivia pulled away first, resting her forehead against his. "Certainly don't need directions for that," she said with a smirk.

Elliot laughed. "Nope," he said, smiling, as he kissed her again. He pulled away completely and swatted her ass playfully. "Hand me that other leg, huh?"

Olivia reached over and picked up the wooden leg, handing it to Elliot. "The twins are twelve," she said. "It's been a while since you put one of these together, El. Things are a bit more complicated now."

"Actually," Elliot said, screwing the leg into the base, "I think they're less complicated." He shot his eyes toward hers. "We're less complicated," he clarified. "Aren't we?"

Olivia gave him a small smile. "We are," she said. "You and I, yes. The rest of your family...how can you still want me here after hearing Kathleen..."

"Katie is trying to push my buttons. She's trying to hurt you, and she's trying to get me to admit that I fucked up with her mother, and she wants me to ask Kathy to come back," Elliot explained. "Liv, none of that is going to happen. I want you, just you, and so does my daughter. My sixteen year old mother-to-be, who has, for her own reasons, grown painfully attached to you."

Olivia sighed. "I feel like I'm destroying your family," she whispered.

"Liv," Elliot said, finding her chin with his hand, pulling her to meet his gaze. "You're keeping it together," he told her. His eyes were bright, filled with love, and one look into them told her he was telling what he believed was the truth. He brushed his thumb over her lips, slowly, still holding her eyes with his. "I love you, Benson."

"I love you, Stabler," Olivia said, smirking, but tense. The look in his eyes had her paralyzed, and the thumb brushing over her lips was driving her crazy.

Elliot narrowed his eyes, sensing the tension, and he kissed her, slowly running his tongue in the same path over her lips his thumb had taken. She opened herself to him, willingly, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, caressing her, as they kissed.

Olivia moaned softly into his mouth, her own hands making their way around his body. She knew she shouldn't be in the position, at all, but God help her, she really didn't care anymore. It wasn't right, but it sure as hell felt like it was.

Elliot was the first to pull back this time, and he nuzzled her nose gently. "We need to get this done," he breathed.

Olivia nodded, her hands running down his chest. "I know," she whispered, looking up at him. She peeled her hands off of his body and reached for another leg to the crib. That's when she heard him sigh, an unhappy sound. She turned to him and saw him running his hand down his face, shaking his head.

"This is not...this isn't how or why we should be doing this," Elliot said flatly, pulling the leg out of Olivia's hands. He screwed it into the base and said, "I always assumed, ya know, when we put one of these together for the first time it would be for our kid." He scoffed and said, "Not our fucking grandkid. Years of lying awake in bed, picturing this moment...picking out baby furniture, and names, and clothes, and picturing the the look on your face, thinking about laughing and kissing while we did it all..."

"What?" Olivia interrupted. "You actually thought about..."

"Thought, dreamed, fantasized, prayed," Elliot said, flipping the crib over so it was upright, standing on its legs. "Liv, trust me. I had our whole damn lives mapped out in my head."

Olivia was stunned. She thought she was the only one who had been dreaming of a life like that with her partner. "El," she said, reaching for his shoulder, "You said 'our..."

"I know what I said," Elliot interjected. He looked over his shoulder into her eyes. "I know exactly what I said."

Olivia swallowed, squeezing his shoulder gently, and she tried to smile. "Okay," she said, "So it's not our child. But we've been smiling, and laughing, and kissing, and you said it yourself, you are loving the stupid look on my face..."

"Liv," Elliot chuckled, "I can't be all brooding and grumpy when you do that."

"Do what?" Olivia asked, using Elliot as leverage to get off of the floor and walk over to the box containing the changing table.

Elliot shook his head in amazement as he said, "Make me smile." He got to his feet, walked over to her, and moved impossibly close, backing her up. He had her pinned against the wall.

"Well," Olivia said, shrugging with a smirk on her face, "Maybe I don't like it when you're all brooding and grumpy. I mean, it's hot, don't get me wrong, but not when we're..."

She couldn't finish her sentence, since Elliot pressed his lips into hers. Their arms wrapped around each other, grasping and clutching, as the kiss deepened and grew fierce. Apparently, the changing table would just have to wait.

* * *

"So what did you guys do today?" Elliot asked, watching his twins set the table. They had all filed in from school an hour ago, while he and Olivia were cleaning up after finishing the nursery. They had been cooking dinner while the kids finished their homework, and now they were preparing to sit down to a family dinner.

Lizzie looked up and said, "We had to write about people who've had a tremendous impact on our lives, someone who we hope to be like when we grow up."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," Elliot said, bringing the large salad bowl to the table. He turned and saw Olivia bringing over the pasta and his heart swelled. "Who'd you guys write about?" he asked, though he was still staring at Olivia.

"I wrote about you, Dad," Dickie said, stealing a carrot out of the salad.

Elliot's head snapped toward his son. "Really?" he asked, stunned.

"Yeah," Dickie said, smiling. "But wait till Lizzie tells you who she wrote about! Her essay was awesome, Dad, you should have been there to hear..."

"Who?" Elliot asked, turning toward his daughter.

Lizzie gave her dad a bright smile, then turned her head slightly. "Olivia," she said.

Olivia's heart thudded against her chest. "Wow," she whispered. "You..."

"Why on Earth would you want to be like Olivia?" Kathleen broke in, finally walking into the dining room from the living room. "You really wanna grow up to be a family stealing, home wrecking, obnoxious, Little-Miss-Perfect?" She eyed her sister up and down, and said, "Well, you're obnoxious, and you think you're perfect. Halfway there, I guess."

"Kathleen!" Elliot yelled. "I know you're upset, and I know you're going through some things, but you are crossing the line, young lady!" He walked over to her. "Apologize to your sister, then to Liv. Now."

Kathleen smirked at her father and crossed her arms. "What are you gonna do if I don't?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Are you really..."

"Hey!" Dickie yelled. "Dad, you might wanna..."

"What, Dickie?" Elliot asked harshly, spinning around. "I'm in the middle of something here."

Dickie pointed to the door. "I was gonna say, you might wanna go get Liv. She just left," he said.

"What?" Maureen cried, heartbroken. "No! Daddy, you have to go get her!"

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic," she said. "You don't need Olivia. You have Dad, and you have us. That should be enough!"

"Katie," Maureen yelled, "You're the pathetic one. You let Mom get to you with her lies, and you know Olivia would never do half of things Mom's told you she's done. You know why I need Liv? Because Mom wants nothing to do with me! Or this baby!"

Kathleen furrowed her brow. "You're wrong! She's our mother, she..."

"She left us, Katie," Maureen pointed out. "Whenever we really needed her, she left. She told Dad that my child has to call her Aunt Kathy, and did you know Mom doesn't want me there on the weekends until after I have it? She doesn't want her new neighbors knowing her teenaged daughter got knocked up."

Kathleen's face fell. "Why would Mom..."

"Because she doesn't love us like she's supposed to," Maureen said. "Image and status symbols, that's all we were. When people started joking about Dad having a thing for his partner, she thought she was the butt of people's jokes, so she filed for divorce so people would stop! Olivia is the only person who has ever really been like a real mother to us, and she doesn't have to be, and now she's gone, and I can't do this alone!" Her head dropped into her hands and she sobbed, collapsing into a chair at the table.

"Niether can Daddy," Lizzie said. "That's why Liv was here. He loves her, and he needs her here, too."

"I'm going to get her," Elliot said, grabbing his keys and his jacket. "Don't star eating without..."

"I'm coming with you," Kathleen said, walking toward him.

"You've done enough," Elliot said, pointing to her. "Stay..."

Kathleen interrupted him. "I wanna apologize."

Elliot sighed, thought about it, then nodded. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the house, locking the door behind them.

"I knew it wouldn't work," Olivia said, looking down at the dirt as she heard the footstps coming closer. "I mean, we work, we do. We are so...perfect. But I can't be there if she hates me. His kids are more important than I am." She bent over and plucked a weed, tossing it away. "As much as I love him, I can not come between him and his family. Seeing her like that, it made me think of all the times I mouthed off to your boyfriends. I said some of the same things to them that Katie said to me, and I know the circumstances are incredibly different, but I am so sorry. If was half as angry and impossible as she is right now..."

"Who are you talking to?" Kathleen asked, standing next to her father. Elliot pulled on Kathleen's collar, tugging her back toward him, and told her to be quiet.

Olivia turned quickly and looked at Elliot. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"You're gonna miss dinner," Elliot said. "You helped cook it, you need to help eat it," he told her with a smile. "Besides, I missed you."

Olivia rolled her eyes and sighed. "How did you even know where I was?" she asked.

Elliot tilted his head. "I know you," he said. "You always come here when you're in a situation that reminds you of her, or your relationship with her."

"Of who?" Kathleen said, eagerly. "With who?"

Olivia sighed and looked at the fourteen year old. "Katie, this is my mother. She was an alcoholic, abusive, she almost killed me once."

"Then why are you even here?" Kathleen asked, folding her arms.

"Two years before she died, we started to actually talk," Olivia said. "She got help, and for a while, at least during the day, she was a mother. It was way too late, but she tried." Olivia looked down at the headstone and sighed. "I don't really miss her, not the way I should. I just miss having a family. Having someone, besides your father, who was there when I needed her, who I could talk to about anything, someone who I know wouldn't judge me."

"Someone like you," Kathleen whispered, closing her eyes. "That's what you've been for me. For all of us. I...just...come back to the house? Please? Dad and Maureen really need you." She didn't want to admit it out loud yet, but she needed Olivia, too.

"I need them, too," Olivia said, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Elliot took a step forward, pressing a sweet kiss to her forehead. "You've got us, baby," he whispered. He led her back to the car, and once Kathleen got in, he looked at Olivia over the hood and said, "It wasn't exactly an apology..."

"But it's enough," Olivia said, smiling. "Next time you wanna use me to get through to one of your kids, can it be somewhere else? And it probably shouldn't involve me lying about missing my mother."

Elliot laughed and nodded, getting into the car. He drove back in the direction of home, looking into the backseat. He noticed Kathleen, looking at Olivia with the love in her eyes that had gone missing for a while. "Liv," he said, speaking up, "After work tomorrow, I should probably take you to get more stuff. You're staying, right?"

"I'm staying," Olivia said, smiling back at him. She sighed, then, wondering just what going back to work would mean for them.

**A/N: Working together; is it easier or harder now that they're more than just partners? ****Cragen starts asking questions. Too many questions. And Elliot pays Nick a little visit, and gets a very big surprise. More? Leave me a message here, or on Twitter. TMG212 **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Working together; is it easier or harder now that they're more than just partners? Cragen starts asking questions. Too many questions. And Elliot pays Nick a little visit, and gets a very big surprise.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

How much do you think I'll need?" Olivia asked, grabbing her bag and opening a dresser drawer.

"Enough for at least six months," Elliot said. "I figured you'd stay...after."

Olivia turned and looked at him. "I'm not gonna pack for six months right now, El. I mean, I have to come back here every so often to..."

"Why?" Elliot asked, interrupting her. "Liv, I guess what I'm asking is...stay. Move in, at least for a while."

Olivia looked around, her eyed wide. "I can't just...what about my apart..."

"Hopefully," Elliot interrupted, "You won't want to come back. Liv, I'm not saying you have to..."

"The furniture," Olivia said. "And all my stuff. El, you don't have room for..."

Elliot placed his lips over hers, quieting her. "Storage unit," he said. "And we'll make room for your clothes and the two dishes that you have." He smiled at her and said, softly, "Don't make me beg."

Olivia chuckled once, looking at him. "Okay," she said. "Grab a bag, empty the drawers."

Elliot smirked. "Thank you," he said. "I really need you there. I really just...need you." He kissed her again, loving the way she kissed him back, the way she felt in his arms. He pulled her closer, feeling the weight lifting off his shoulders, at least, for the moment.

* * *

Elliot pushed open the door to his house, carrying Olivia's bags, and got quite a shock.

"Daddy!" Kathleen yelled cheerfully. "Look who's here!"

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Kathy?" He asked, staring at his ex-wife as she sat on his couch.

"I wanted to see the kids," Kathy said. "I wanted to see..." she paused, seeing Olivia's bags. "What the hell is going on, here?" she asked, angered.

Elliot tugged on his right ear, smirking. "Olivia's moving in," he said.

"Bitch," Kathy spat, getting off the couch. "You just couldn't wait, could you?" She turned to Kathleen and said, "See? I told you! She jumped right in, didn't even wait for..."

"Kathy," Olivia said harshly, interrupting. "I'm not trying to..."

"You didn't need to try!" Kathy yelled. "Stupid slut, you just had to look at him sideways and he was putty in your grubby hands." She took a step toward Olivia and smirked. "You couldn't wait to deal with his lies, and his fucking attitude, and the four kids, one of whom is making a huge mistake by having that baby, could you? You were so quick to rip it all away from me, wanting them to be all yours!" She snapped back to Kathleen. "You believe me now?"

Kathleen looked from Olivia to her mother to her father then back to her mother. "No," she said. "I don't. I believe Dad loves her, but I don't believe they were doing anything while you and Dad were still together. I mean, as pissed off as I am at her, I know Olivia would never do that."

"Kathleen," Kathy said, her eyes wide, "Whose side are you on?"

"Honestly?" Kathleen asked. "Dad's. And Olivia's. Where were you when Maureen was puking in the middle of the night? Where were you when Dad was having a nervous breakdown? Or when Dickie couldn't even breathe without feeling guilty because he couldn't protect his big sister?" She folded her arms and shook her head. "I don't know where the hell you were, but Olivia was right here, fixing all of it!"

Elliot looked at Kathleen softly, then glanced at Olivia, who looked stunned.

Kathy took a step toward her daughter. "Katie," she said softly, "I told you what she did to your father, and to us, and you believed me. What's changed?"

"My mind," Kathleen said. "I've seen Olivia give up her whole life to be here with us, to take care of Maureen and Dad, and to try to take care of the rest of us, and that doesn't sound like someone who was only after Dad for..."

"Okay," Elliot said, holding up a hand. "We have already established that I am not sleeping with Olivia, can we stop now?" He looked over at Kathy and said, "Why are you really here?"

Kathy smirked, stepping toward him "I came to forgive you," she said, running her hands down his chest. "To give you a second chance. Think about it. We can have our old life back, we can send Maureen to your brother's in Cincinnati to have her..."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Olivia yelled. "What the hell kind of mother sends their pregnant daughter to a totally different state?" She walked toward them and pushed Kathy off of Elliot. "And what kind of woman comes crawling back to her ex-husband after telling him she was sick of him?"

Kathy scoffed, moving forward again. "You home wrecking little..."

"Home wrecking?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowed. "Kathy, I was the one who, on several different occasions, forced Elliot to go the hell home! Up until you signed those divorce papers, I was trying to keep your fucking family together! You're the one who broke his heart because you couldn't stand people thinking you were being cheated on! You're only here, begging him to come home, because your current millionaire boyfriend just lost all of his money. So don't you dare..."

Elliot stepped in between the women just as Kathy attempted to punch Olivia. He fist collided with Elliot's cheek and everyone gasped.

"Elliot!" Kathy cried. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit..."

"Out," Elliot yelled, pointing to the door.

Kathy batted her eyes. "Elliot, honey, come on. Send Olivia home, and..."

"Get out!" Elliot boomed. "Now! Or I swear to God Olivia will arrest your ass for assaulting an officer. Hell, I should have her do it anyway!"

Kathy's eyes widened. "You are really doing this? You're really choosing her over me?"

"I'm choosing the woman who isn't going to make her grandchild call her 'Aunt Kathy'," Elliot said with his jaw clenched. "I'm choosing the woman who has been here for Maureen, and for me, since we found out about the baby. I'm choosing the woman who, no matter what frame of mind I'm in, I can not stop smiling at. I'm choosing the woman who knows what a real relationship is, who isn't afraid to work things out, and who loves me, more than she should."

Kathy looked at Elliot, her eyes drawn and sad. "I do love you, Elliot."

"You don't love me," Elliot said with a scoff. "You don't trust me, or want to raise my kids, or our grandchild," he said, sourly. "I can't love someone who doesn't have a heart, Kathy. I really don't know when you became this bitter, superficial woman, but I am not in love with you anymore. I haven't been, for a very long time." He gestured to the door again and said, "Please, leave, because Olivia and I have to make sure Maureen takes her vitamins, and we have to give the nursery another coat of paint, and then we have to get less than three hours of sleep and go to work, so you being here is really screwing with our schedule."

Kathy sneered at Olivia on her way out. "Bitch," she spat again. "Turned my entire family against me."

"You did that yourself," Olivia said, bitter.

Kathy opened the door, turning toward her one last time. "Well, Olivia, you deal with them. They're your problem now. I'm done." She walked through the door and slammed it behind her.

Elliot looked at Olivia, who was still fuming, then he looked at each of kids, who were shocked and a little scared. "Katie," he said, forcing a smile.

"I know, Dad," Kathleen said, "Watch the language."

The room erupted in soft laughter as they relaxed, but Elliot knew that Kathy was going to be the least of their problems.

* * *

"Where's Stabler?" Cragen asked, looking at Olivia.

Olivia looked up at her captain and shrugged. "It's his lunch break, how the hell should I know?"

"Well, you're his partner," Cragen said. "Among other things," he said under his breath.

"Cap, you got something to say to me?" Olivia asked, still edgy after her confrontation with Kathy.

"No," Cragen said, clearing his throat. "But if I were to give some advice to anyone in this room entering into a relationship with someone else in this unit, I would tell them to think long and hard about the consequences, and try to keep it quiet if they choose to ignore that warning."

Fin and Munch looked at the Captain with odd expressions and Cragen shook his head. He narrowed his eyes and said, "You had three days off, and I'm assuming you stayed with him. You did, right?"

Olivia sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I slept on the couch," she lied, "And I spent the entire time putting together baby furniture and trying to convince him that everything was gonna be okay."

"Yeah," Cragen said with a scoff. "How's he taking it?"

"He just found out his sixteen year old daughter is gonna have a baby," Olivia said. "He's thirty-five, and he's gonna be a grandfather. He's gotta do it alone, because his ex-wife has a few screws loose. How do you think he is?"

"He's not doing it alone," Cragen said. "Don't insult my intelligence, Benson. He has you, so he's gonna be just fine." He turned and headed for his office, shouting, "When he gets here, tell him I need to see him."

Olivia shook her head, wondering how much trouble they were in, as she heard Fin clear his throat.

"Well, uh, what was that all about?" Fin asked, glancing at Munch.

Olivia shook her head, smirking, and signed her file. "Who knows," she said. "Cragen obviously thinks I'm closer to Stabler than I am."

"You don't realize how close you are," Munch said. "Fin and I only wish we half as close as you two."

Olivia looked up at them, raising an eyebrow. "So take a chance Munch, ask him out," she joked. She laughed as Fin and Munch gagged, and just started to read the next file in front of her, when Elliot walked in.

"I'm gonna kill him," Elliot spat. "I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

"Who?" Olivia asked, concerned, as she rose from her seat.

"Nick," Elliot said, looking around for something to hit. He settled for the locker near his desk and punched it hard, denting it. "That little asswipe just told me he changed his mind. He wants to see Maureen, and he wants to be involved...after he gets out of jail, that is." He punched the locker again and said, "Over my dead body."

Olivia got up and wlaked over to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and turning him around. "Hey," she said, "He already signed the papers. He gave up his rights, and he can't do anything about it." She looked into his eyes, warning him, and said, "Calm down."

Elliot took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "Yeah, thanks." He clenched and unclenched his fist, finally feeling the pain from hitting the metal locker, and he gave Olivia a furtive glance, a silent "I love you."

"Stabler," Fin said, cautiously, "Cragen wants to see you."

Elliot rolled his eyes and walked toward the office door, shaking his head. "I really don't need this right now," he said, putting his hand on the knob. "Liv," he called, jerking his head. "Come in with me." He gave her the look, pleading and scared, that he'd been giving her for the last four days, and she nodded.

"What are partners for?" Olivia asked, shrugging, walking toward him. Elliot opened the door and he and Olivia stepped inside, waiting for what they knew would be a pretty long lecture.

**A/N: Wow! Was that really the last of Kathy? Maureen's first doctor's appointment, with Olivia by her side, makes Elliot realize something. But what? Find out next, if you want to, that is. Review here, or on Twitter, TMG212**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: What's Cragen got to say? Maureen's first doctor's appointment, with Olivia by her side, makes Elliot realize something. But what?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

Elliot knocked on Cragen's door, and when he heard the captain tell him to, he opened the door. He walked in, with Olivia close beside him.

"Olivia," Cragen said, pointing his finger at the door, "I don't need to..."

"She's staying," Elliot said. "She's my partner. Anything you're gonna say to me, you can say in front of her."

Cragen sighed. "Okay," he said. "Kathy called, and she is pressing charges against you, she said you hit her."

"What?" Elliot barked.

"Calm down," Cragen said. "I didn't say I believe her, did I?" He paused and ran a hand down his face. "Fin went over to her place this morning, and she wasn't bruised or cut...and her boyfriend vouched for her whereabouts. He said she went to see the kids, came home without a scratch on her, and she told him she'd get even with you. Kathy got pissed off at him, then had to recant her statement."

"So why am I in here?" Elliot asked. "You're not gonna arrest me, or..."

"You're in here," Cragen interrupted, "Because I wanna know why Kathy was so pissed off at you she would try to get you in that much trouble."

Elliot scoffed. "The kids want nothing to do with her, I'm not taking her back, and she thinks there's something going on with me and Liv."

Cragen looked at Olivia, squinted a bit, then turned back to Elliot. "Thinks or knows?"

"Cap," Elliot said, his brow furrowed, "You honestly think..."

"Yeah, I do!" Cragen yelled. "You two know that getting involved could cost you your jobs, and if I cover it up it could cost me mine!"

Olivia, her heart racing, said, "Captain, what are you talking ab..."

"So don't fuck it up," Cragen said, cutting her off.

"Hold on, what?" Elliot said, leaning closer to Cragen.

Cragen squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You two have more chemistry than a fucking high school science curriculum," he said. "This was bound to happen. I was just hoping I'd be retired before it did. I don't wanna see anything, I don't wanna know anything, and you'd both better be damn sure you're ready to risk your friendship and your partnership for whatever this is."

Elliot huffed as he slumped in his seat. "Jesus, you make it sound so...ya know, Cap, Liv and I have waited a long time to do what we're doing, and it's worth it. Believe me."

Cragen sighed again. "How are you, Elliot?" he asked.

"Perfect," Elliot said. "My ex-wife is out to get me, you probably just scared the love of my life out of being with me, Kathleen hates her life, and Maureen's having a fucking baby." He took a deep breath and laughed, "Oh, I'm really fucking perfect."

"I'm not scared," Olivia said, narrowing her eyes. "Kathy's not gonna come anywhere near you or the kids, unless she wants my size seven and a half heel up her ass. Kathleen's still figuring things out, you heard her last night. And Maureen and the baby are gonna be just fine."

Elliot and Cragen looked at Olivia, studying her for a moment. "And that right there is why you two are gonna be in such shit if this doesn't work," Cragen said, shaking his head. "Get out of here, and for the love of God, during work, pretend you're not in love."

Olivia scoffed. "That's impossible," she said.

"Well, then just hide the shit out of it," Cragen said, tryuing not to laugh. He watched Olivia and Elliot leave, worried. Worried about them, thier jobs, and what was now their family.

* * *

"Olivia, you didn't have to do this," Maureen said, holding her hand as she waited on the table.

"Yeah, I did," Olivia said with smile. She jerked her head toward Elliot and said, "He leaves for two hours without taking his partner, people are gonna think something's up." She saw the look on Maureen's face and chuckled. "And of course, I wanted to be right here with you, and your father, the first time we see what this little one looks like."

The doctor opened the door, stepping in, and smiled at the trio. "Hello, Detectives," she said. "It's nice to see you under better circumstances."

"Hey, Doc," Elliot said, smiling just a bit.

The doctor nodded at him, then looked at Maureen. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

"I'm okay," Maureen replied smiling. "My parents have been great through all of this."

Elliot looked at his daughter. "Your mother hasn't..."

"I wasn't talking about Kathy, Daddy," Maureen said, eyeing Olivia. Elliot followed her eyes, then tilted his head. Did Maureen just say Olivia was her mother? "So, Doc," Maureen said, changing the subject, "Can we get this over with? They have to take me back to school and get back to work."

The doctor laughed, and pulled a rolling cart with an ultrasound machine out into the middle of the room. "Okay, Maureen," she said, "Lie back."

"Thanks for doing this, Mel," Olivia said, sending a grateful look to her friend.

"Anything for you guys," Melinda Warner said as she flipped on the machine. She rolled up Maureen's shirt said, "This might be a little cold."

Maureen nodded, then gasped as the gel hit her skin. "Wow," she whispered. "That is so cold."

Olivia squeezed her right hand, Elliot squeezed her left, and they both looked at each other. They watched as Melinda grabbed the scanner and held it over Maureen's belly. "Are you guys ready?"

Maureen sighed. "None of us are ready," she said. "But we don't really have a choice."

Melinda smirked in sympathy as the scanner passed over the gel, trying to find the image of the baby. "And...here...is...your baby's...heart," she said, finally getting a clear picture on the monitor.

All three faces lit up, and Maureen let some tears fall. "Oh, God," she cried. "Really? That's my...child?"

"Yeah," Olivia whispered, running the hand not holding hers through her hair, still staring at the screen.

Elliot saw the look in her eyes, the look on her face, as he moved his eyes from the monitor to Olivia. He knew she was thinking about one day seeing her own child's heart beating, feeling the tiny being grow inside of her. He smiled as she saw Olivia kiss Maureen's forehead, and his heart gave a hard thud as he realized how badly he wanted the same thing.

Melinda took some blood, checked Maureen's blood pressure, and gave her a swift general exam. "Everything looks good," she said, helping the teen off the table. "Honey, can you take these forms out to Ryan?"

"Yeah," Maureen said, taking the papers from her. "Liv, come with me?"

"Sure, sweetie," Olivia said, giving Elliot a look.

On her way out, Maureen said, "Thank you for everything, Doctor Warner."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Melinda said, watching Maureen and Olivia leave the M. E's office. She turned to Elliot and said, "I'm so sorry, Elliot. I know what you've gotta be going through, and..."

"It's fine," Elliot said. "Liv is really keeping me sane, without her I'd break into pieces. Thanks, though."

Melinda smiled. "Elliot," she said. "There's a risk, because of her age, but she'll be fine. You saw her eyes, and that smile," she said. "She's happy about this, she doesn't seem scared at all. She wants this."

"I know she does," Elliot said with a sigh. "I just feel horrible about bringing her into all of this. I know she'd rather be doing all of this with me, for a kid of our own, and..."

"Uh, woah," Melinda said, holding up a hand. "I was talking about Maureen."

Elliot looked up at her. "I...I was..."

"Talking about Olivia?" Melinda asked. "Elliot, are you two..."

"Yeah," Elliot interrupted. "We are. I just...I just realized how much we are."

Melinda handed him a book and smiled at him. "She's been waiting for you for a long time, Elliot."

"I know she has, Mel," Elliot said. "I've been waiting a long time for her, too." He grinned as he looked down at the book. "What To Expect When You're Expecting?"

"Give it to your daughter," Melinda said. "It'll help her deal with what's going on with her body. You should read it, too, Elliot. It'll help you handle her, so you'll be able to help her."

Elliot smirked, knowing exactly why he was gonna read the book. "Thank you," he said, giving her a curt nod and leaving the room.

"Just what the world needs," Melinda said with a chuckle, holding one of the printed sonogram images. "Another Stabler." She shook her head as she, too, walked out of the office. She didn't realize that sometime in the future, there'd be another one coming along.

**A/N: What does that mean? Family story time gets serious, at the Stabler household. And another moment between Olivia and Kathleen. Ready for it? Lemme know here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Family story time gets serious at the Stabler household. And another moment between Olivia and Kathleen.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"During the sixteenth week, hormones are running high. Emotional rollercoaster rides should be expected," Elliot read from the book. "That's just wonderful," he quipped, looking up at his daughter. He bent his head and kept reading, "You should notice more swelling around your abdomen, and do not be surprised to see some minor, yellow-colored discharge…okay, I'm done," he said, putting the book down on Maureen's bed. "You can read the rest of that chapter by yourself."

"Daddy," Maureen said rolling her eyes.

Elliot folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I already read about sore breasts and constipation with you. Yellow colored discharge…I don't care where it's coming from…is where I stop."

Olivia stifled a laugh. "Okay," she said. "Daddy's getting grumpy. That must mean it's bedtime."

Maureen looked up for a moment. "Liv," she said, tilting her head, "Thanks for pulling strings with Doctor Warner. I know it was a little unorthodox, and probably in violation of a thousand rules…"

"It's nothing," Olivia said.

"Gotta admit, being down the hall from a few dozen dead bodies wasn't exactly thrilling," Maureen said, making a face. "But her main office wasn't bad. She was really nice about it all, and just…thanks."

Olivia nodded and smiled. "I trust her. I knew she would take really good care of you, and she's a friend. Not to mention, we know she takes our insurance plan." She winked at Maureen and got off of the bed.

Elliot smiled. He noticed that Olivia had been using words like "we" and "our" a lot lately. Maybe she wanted exactly what he did. He had to find out. He got out of the chair, pushed it back by Maureen's desk, and kissed her head. "Goodnight, sweetie," he said. "Liv and I will be right downstairs if you need us."

"I know," Maureen said, kissing him on the cheek. She turned to Olivia and reached out her arms. "I love you both," she whispered as she squeezed Olivia tight. "Good night."

"Night, honey," Olivia said, flicking off the light as she and Elliot left.

"Why do we have to read that book with her again?" Elliot asked, furrowing his brow and making a disgusted face.

Olivia chuckled. "To understand what she's going through, to make her feel like she isn't alone, and because I love the faces you make when you get to the disgusting bits. Your face gets all white, your eyes glaze over…I imagine it's what you might have looked like right after a frat party, if you'd ever been to one."

"That pregnant sixteen-year-old in there is the reason I have never been to one," Elliot said, pointing back toward his daughter's door. "And I think the other three kids I have prove I understand damn well what she's going through. I don't need to know the specifics to be a supportive father and, God help me, grandfather."

Olivia shook her head and smirked. "Next time you yell at me for making you kill a spider, I'm whispering the words 'yellow-colored discharge' in your ear. You're scared shitless."

Elliot shivered. "Okay, fine, you win," he said. "I admit, I'm scared. I'm afraid, I'm thoroughly disgusted that all of that…shit…in that book is really happening to my daughter. Can we go to bed now?"

Olivia put both hands on his shoulders and squeezed out some of the tension she found there. He dropped his head to the wall and groaned. "Liv, baby, that feels so good," he said softly in a moaning voice.

"El," Olivia said to him, calmly, "I know you're scared. I am, too. About everything, trust me, but you're not alone. You're gonna be fine. I have seen you face things that are fifty times worse than this without batting an eyelash. You are the strongest person I know, and, El, you can get through this. You and I can get through this with Maureen, and we're all gonna be…"

Elliot turned, suddenly, and kissed her, stopping her from saying anything else. He slowly brought his hands to her face, cupping it, and gently ran his tongue over her lips, asking for her permission to deepen the kiss. She opened her mouth slightly and gave him everything he asked for, and his hands wound into her hair, pulling her closer for a powerful, long, slow kiss, filled with emotion and understanding, the fear and anxiety melting away as it continued on.

Olivia pulled away, flushed, warm, and slightly breathless. "Wow," she whispered.

"I love you," Elliot said. He pressed his forehead to hers. "You don't know how much. Every time I'm lonely, you call, or show up. Every time I'm nervous, or the slightest bit afraid, you calm me down and make everything I was worried about seem so silly," he told her. "Every time I look at you, Liv, I think about the life I want…with you."

"What life, El?" Olivia asked, a slight sparkle in her eyes.

Neither of them heard the door behind Elliot open slightly as he said, "You, me, the kids, and as many new little Stablers as we can possibly have. A big house with a white picket fence and a dog, a small one though, and we're paper training the damned thing." He laughed quietly and pecked her lips. "I want a minivan," he said, kissing her again. "And a Porsche. With vanity plates that say Stabler-one and Stabler-two." He kissed her yet again, sliding his hands down her body, coming to rest gently on her ass. "I want everything I ever really wanted, and I want it all with you."

Olivia's eyes closed for a moment. "Elliot, I…"

"You don't have to say anything," Elliot said, cutting her off. "I'm just telling you what I want. And I want it soon. Now."

Olivia pulled back from him slightly. "I really don't think…"

"Okay," Elliot interrupted again with a smirk. "We don't have to get a dog."

Olivia had to laugh at that, and the grin on his face. "What are you saying, El?" she asked, taking his hands in hers.

"I'm saying," Elliot began, pulling her close, "That I don't want this to end when Maureen has the baby. I don't want you to go back to that apartment, I don't want you to answer the phone when guys named Dean, and Frank, and Kurt, and Mark call you. I want you to be with me, Liv. Really with me. Not the flirting and fooling around like we've been doing." He held her gaze as he said, "You used to say you couldn't tell when a guy was serious about you because you never talked about it, well I'm talking about it. I'm serious."

"How serious?" a voice from behind Elliot asked.

They both jumped a bit, then Elliot turned as Olivia looked up. "Hey, Kit-Kat," Elliot said, furrowing his brow. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Are you asking her to marry you?" Kathleen asked, opening her door wider, stepping into the light. "In the hallway, at midnight? Wearing sweatpants, that's ridiculous."

Elliot scoffed. "No…I'm not asking…we were just talking, Kat," he said. "And what if I was asking her to marry me? Kat, how would you handle that?"

"Dad," Kathleen said, shaking her head and frowning, "You wouldn't. I may have chosen her over Mom, but that doesn't mean I want her to be my new mother." She stepped further out into the hall. She looked up at Olivia and gave her father a light shove, ushering him out of the way. "Look, Olivia," she said, staring into Olivia's eyes, "I'm still getting used to the idea of you and Dad. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that you aren't just his partner, that you're the reason…er…one of the reasons he and Mom aren't together. I just…I'm not ready for a second mother yet, and I'm not ready to see someone else…hurt him. Hurt us."

Olivia looked back at her. "You know I would never do that to him, or to you. I love your father, very much, and I love you guys. All of you."

Kathleen nodded once. "We'll see," she said, heading back into her room.

Once the door was closed, Elliot turned back to Olivia. "Well," he said, "She certainly has great timing."

Olivia laughed. "Come on, Stabler," she said. "Let's go to bed."

"Wait," Elliot said, pulling her back. "Liv, what I was gonna ask…I mean, I just…" he paused, then he smiled. "In a few months, if you want to, uh…we should…"

"Spit it out, El," Olivia said, folding her arms. "If I want to what? We should what?"

"Baby," Elliot said, brushing his hand over her cheek again. "In a few months, we should…" He couldn't tell her; his phone rang. He rolled his eyes and reached into the pocket of his sweats. "Stabler," he said into the cell. "What? How? When?" he asked loud and fast. "And why is this our…oh, well, then, yeah, it is a sex-crime. Yeah, Liv and I are on the way. Thanks, Fin." He snapped the phone closed then looked at Olivia.

"El," Olivia said, nudging him. "What is it?"

"Nick," Elliot said. "He's dead."

**A/N: The plot thickens! Who killed him? Why? How is Maureen connected to it all? Does the case pull Elliot and Olivia closer or push them apart? Review for more! Here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Who killed Nick? Why? How is Maureen connected to it all? Does the case pull Elliot and Olivia closer or push them apart?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Calm down," Cragen barked, watching Elliot pace back and forth in the squadroom.

"Don't fucking tell me to fucking calm down," Elliot spat. "I'm not, repeat, not, at all, helping you find the man who killed the kid who hurt my daughter! You have real balls if you think for one second I'm taking this case! Shit, I would like to shake the hand of the man that killed Nick McCann!"

"You don't have a choice!" Cragen yelled. "You were told, long ago, that emotions and personal issues are to be set aside, Stabler! We don't get to pick the vic, and right now no one cares that this kid hurt your daughter! Last time I checked, it took two to make a baby, kid! Place some blame on your own child and do your damned job!"

Olivia's eyes were wide. "Okay," she said, looking around the bullpen. "Who ordered the McBastard with cheese?"

"What was that Benson?" Cragen yelled at Olivia. "You wanna be in just as much shit as your partner? Keep talking!"

"Captain!" Olivia yelled, "All Elliot wants right now is a little understanding. You have no idea what he's going through! His sixteen year old daughter is pregnant with our vic's baby, so forgive him for not wanting to find his killer!" She took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. "If it was me, would you make him work the case?"

"What?" Cragen asked, taken aback.

Olivia blinked once, bit her lip, and said, "If Dean left me pregnant, scared and alone, then turned up dead somewhere, would you make Elliot work the case?"

Cragen's eyes narrowed. "That's different," he mumbled.

"How?" Olivia asked.

"It just..." Cragen paused, realizing what she was telling him. His eyes widened slightly and he took a breath, letting it out slowly. "You're right," he said. "Elliot, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to do this. Your family should come first."

"It does," Elliot said harshly. "It always will. My priorities have always been my kids and Liv, then my job. You can't tell me I'm wrong!"

Munch smirked. "So Olivia and your kids come as a set now?"

"Damn right," Elliot said as he gritted his teeth, turning to give Munch a glare. "Is that a problem, John?"

"No," Munch said, widening his eyes and backing away.

Fin, stepping forward and clearing his throat, said, "Okay, man, you and Baby-Girl go take a couple'a cold showers. Munch and I will work this one. We will call ya if anything comes up."

Elliot, still huffing, nodded. "Yeah," he said. He grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her out of the squadroom, unaware that Cragen now knew, without a doubt, they were more than just partners.

* * *

Three in the morning found them back home, back in bed, both staring at the ceiling. "You still awake?" Olivia asked, knowing he was.

"Yeah," Elliot said. "I can not believe I yelled at Cragen like that. I can't believe you...you called him a bastard, Liv."

"He deserved it," Olivia said. "He really thought that you would be okay having to investigate the death of..." She was cut off by the shrill sound of a ringing phone. She reached over to the end table and grabbed her phone, tapping the screen to answer the call. "Benson," she said. "Yeah, I am. Yes, on the couch," she said rolling her eyes. Lying. "What? Yes, Maureen has been here all night. She isn't exactly in peak physical condition, Fin, she couldn't have run to Manhattan, killed him, then got back...we were with her all night. Two, why? They were both here. Katie's fourteen, and Lizzie's twelve. They had nothing to...oh, my God. Fin, I think...maybe. Call us back, huh?" She tapped the phone again, ending the call, and she looked at Elliot.

"Why was Fin asking about the girls?" Elliot asked, his eyes tense. "He doesn't think they had anything to do with this, does he?"

Olivia ran a hand through her hair. "Melinda found blood on Nick's jacket. She tested it, and it wasn't his, but it came up a partial match to Maureen."

"Who's in the computer because Melinda ran the tests in her office," Elliot said, sighing. "But it was partial. They think it's a relative, so...so, what, I'm a suspect, now?"

"No," Olivia said, shaking her head. "The blood was definitely female, and not an exact match. That's why Fin was asking about sisters. When I told him they were both here with us all night, his mind went right to..."

"Kathy," Elliot said, low voiced and serious.

Olivia nodded. "They're gonna call back if they get anything solid." She shook her head. "I don't think Kathy is the kind of person who would kill for her children."

Elliot picked up his phone and dialed. "She's not," he said. "She is the kind of person who would kill the kid responsible for ruining her perfect life, though." He waited for Fin to pick up, then told him what he thought. He hung up, tossed the phone back to the table, then rolled over, pulling Olivia close to him. "If you weren't here, I'd go nuts. You know that, don't you?"

"You've told me that a lot in the past few days," Olivia said, nuzzling close to him.

"It's the truth," Elliot said. "I love you," he whispered to her as his eyes closed.

Olivia, holding him close to her, knew he meant it. "I love you, too, El," she whispered back. They drifted off to sleep, content, at least for the moment.

* * *

Awakening to the smell of frying bacon, Elliot rolled over, confused to find Olivia's side of the bed empty. "Liv?" he called. He got up, walking out into the kitchen. He found her standing in front of the stove, frying eggs and bacon, and mixing pancake batter. "What are you doing, woman?"

Olivia laughed. "Making breakfast," she said. "We have to be at work in an hour, the kids have school, and Maureen has been up since four, worrying about her favorite jeans not fitting. She's in the bathtub, now, calming down."

Elliot shook his head. "I don't know how you do it," he said. "This is coming so natural to you."

"What is?" Olivia asked, starting to make the pancakes.

Elliot raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Motherhood," he said.

Olivia turned and looked at him, momentarily forgetting about the food. "I'm not trying to be..."

"I want you to be," Elliot said, stepping forward. "That's what I was trying to tell you, to ask you last night." He brushed the hair off of her face and gave her his warmest smile. "Liv, in a few months, when things around here settle down, and we figure things out...I think we should..."

"I'm starving," Dickie said, running into the room. "Oh, that smells amazing, Liv!"

Kathleen, who followed her brother into the room, simply grunted. "Granola bar is fine," she said. "I have to be at school early to finish a project with Janine." She kissed her father on the cheek, then left.

"She's driving me crazy," Dickie said, rolling his eyes.

Elliot looked at his son. "How come when I really need you guys, you're never around, but when I absolutely don't want you interrupting me, you're right there?"

"We're your kids," Lizzie said. "We're supposed to be obnoxious like that."

Olivia chuckled, then turned to flip the pancakes. She looked back at Elliot and asked, "What were you trying to ask me?"

Elliot smiled sadly at her. He shook his head as he told her, "Never mind. I'm gonna go get dressed." He kissed her sweetly, then left the room as he silently cursed his children for having the worst timing in the world.

* * *

They walked into the squadroom, Elliot put a large plate of leftover pancakes near the coffee pot, and then turned to Cragen's office. He took a breath and knocked, opening the door when Cragen said, "Come in."

"Cap," Elliot said, taking another breath, "About last night..."

"Technically, it was this morning," Cragen interrupted. "And it's fine. I would have done the same thing, I know that, and I'm sorry for trying to force your hand. However, uh, if you and someone else in this unit have anything they would like to tell me, now would be the time."

"What are you talking about?" Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow.

Cragen cleared his throat. "You...and Olivia," he said. "You two are..."

"Partners," Elliot said. "Friends, Cap. She's important to me, yeah, but..."

Cragen rolled his eyes. "Elliot," he began. "I've tried to be subliminal with all of this, but when she called me, what was it?"

"A McBastard with cheese," Elliot said, snickering.

"Yeah," Cragen said with a curt nod, "And then she asked me what I would do if it were her you were...I knew that my suspicions were right. What is really going on between you two?"

Elliot ran a hand down his face. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing big yet, I mean, I've been trying...she's just helping me through this thing with Maureen."

"You love her," Cragen said. "Don't you?"

Elliot sighed and looked down. "Cap, I..."

"Because she loves you," Cragen said. "I see it every time she looks at you, and she's giving up a lot to be with you now. You know she left Dean because..."

"I know," Elliot said, looking up. "And it means everything to me that she did. We just...I don't know what's going on with us right now, and every time I try to talk about it, tell her that I want her to...one of the kids barges in and I can't say it, and then we're busy with work, and Maureen," he said. He paused and said, "I can't tell her."

"You have to," Cragen said. "You two can't work together unless you're on the same page, and you agree to keep in the hell out of work."

"Yeah," Elliot said, clearing his throat. "You're right. Hey, uh, did Fin and Munch..."

"No," Cragen said. "They don't know yet. None of the results were conclusive, and until they find Kathy, who, by the way, they can't find, the case is frozen."

"Frozen?" Elliot asked. "Cap, you can't just..."

"I know how to find her," Olivia said, from the doorway.

Elliot turned and Cragen stared. "Liv," Elliot said, taking in a breath. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know they can't find Kathy," Olivia said. She was there longer, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "I know someone who can," she said, folding her arms.

Elliot tilted his head. "Who?" he asked.

Olivia closed her eyes, exhaling. She opened them, looking at Elliot, and said, "Dean." She saw the look in Elliot's eyes, and she crooked her finger, calling him to her.

Elliot walked over, Olivia led him out of Cragen's office, and he said, "I don't want him involved in this."

"El, he can help," Olivia said. "I'm not gonna be alone with him. He'd be working with Fin and Munch. And what have you been trying to tell me that's so important?"

Elliot shook his head. "Liv, now isn't really the time...

"We aren't gonna get interrupted here," Olivia said. "It's obviously bothering you so why don't you just..."

"I want to have a baby, Liv," Elliot interrupted, starling himself and Olivia with the words. "I want to get married, and have kids. With you. Not right now, obviously, but..."

"Are you...are you serious?" Olivia asked, breathless.

Elliot nodded. "You said it yourself, when you thought about kids, you wanted me to be the one..."

"I know what I said," Olivia said, a smile spreading across her face. "You're serious. You want..."

"You," Elliot said. "I want you, Liv. All of you. And I just need to know if that's what you want. If you can tell me, right now, that it's what you want."

Olivia looked around, and satisfied no one was looking or listening, she kissed him quickly and said, "You know it is."

Relieved, Elliot said, "Good, so, uh, go call...him."

"He'll find her, El," Olivia said, walking away to make a phone call that would bring her past into her present, and perilously close to her future.

**A/N: Does Dean help them? Does he try anything? More family moments, and a conversation with Maureen. And Elliot and Olivia finally get a moment alone. Want it? Let me know. Here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Wow, I updated a lot yesterday. On Sept. 13th, though, it will be one a day and very late cuz...er...school starts. Yeah. That. Well, on with the saga! Enter: Dean. **

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"Breathe, honey," Olivia said, rubbing circles on Maureen's back as she curled over the toilet.

"This is so totally gross," Maureen complained. She was sick again, and Olivia cringed at the words that had flown out of the girl's mouth. The gross realization that Maureen was too young, way too young, hit her hard.

Olivia held her hair back. "I know it is," she said. "But it's gonna ease up soon, I promise," she told the teen.

Maureen sat back against Olivia, and sobbed lightly, holding her stomach. "This sucks so hard," she said. "I'm such an idiot! How could I let this happen? And now he's dead...and they think Mom...Kathy did it. Man, this is all such a mess and it's all my fault."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Maureen, letting her cry, and said, "No, baby. Everyone makes mistakes, and it's all right. None of this is your fault, sweet pea. It was an accident, a very big accident. You know you, your father, and I love that little life inside of you. That's not a mistake."

"How can you be so cool about this?" Maureen asked. "You gave up everything because of me. You left your life, your apartment! You passed up a chance with a doctor, a hot doctor, to be here with me, and you haven't left. You should hate me!"

"Listen to me," Olivia said, still holding and rocking the girl. "It was only a first date with...yeah, okay, he was hot. A very hot doctor. But you saved me that night, Mo. Going out with him would have been a mistake." She chuckled, remembering something, and asked, "Can I tell you a secret?"

Maureen sniffled and nodded.

"Right before you called me, your father was trying to tell me he loved me," she said. "He was going to ask me to be with him," she told Maureen. "So even if you didn't call me, I would not have gone on that date. I was only going out with him because I thought I had less than a snowball's chance in hell with your father."

Maureen laughed. "Nice," she said, wiping her eyes, "So...how long have you been in love with him? Daddy, I mean."

Olivia sighed. "Wow, Mo," she said, leaning back against the tiles of the bathroom. "You want that in years, months, days, or minutes?" she asked.

"That long, then? Really?" Maureen asked, shocked. "Why didn't you make a move? My father would have forgotten his own name, let alone the fact that he was married."

Olivia laughed. "I didn't want to be the other woman," she said. "And I didn't...I couldn't handle it if he didn't feel the same way. I'm not good with relationships, of any kind, Mo. I was so protective of the ones I did have...I didn't want to wreck what we had." She sighed and said, "Mo, your father is my best friend. My best friend in the entire world. He knows me better than I know myself, and he's the only one who has ever truly been there for me. He means the world to me, and I couldn't live without him."

"That sounds like love already," Maureen said. "What was the problem?"

Olivia chuckled. "I scare men off, I mean, if you're with me, you aren't gonna be around long. I didn't want to hurt your father, I couldn't take it if he hurt me, and I didn't want to lose him if...we failed." She looked out into space and said, "I'm still terrified of that happening. You kids and your father...you're the only family I have. If I screw up with your dad, and I lose all of you, I'll die."

"Liv, I don't think you can screw up with my father," Maureen said, pretending she didn't see him standing just outside the door. "You only screwed up with other guys because you didn't really trust them, right? Well, you walk around New York City at ungodly hours of the night with my father and a gun. That's grounds for the ultimate trust-filled relationship."

Olivia chuckled again. "You're a smart girl," she said, kissing the teen's forehead. "I think you're done here, sweetie. Get up, brush your teeth, go to bed, and come get me if you feel like doing this again."

"Thanks, Liv," Maureen said, hugging her.

"Anytime, Mo," Olivia replied. She kissed the girl on the cheek and walked out of the bathroom.

Elliot stopped her, standing in front of her, getting in her way. He heard everything and he had never been more sure about his love for her than he was at this moment.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Okay, Stabler, move it," she said with a laugh. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, noticing his face.

Elliot smirked, said nothing, and pulled her toward him, roughly planting a harsh kiss on her lips. They were wrapped around each other, locked together in a deep kiss, when Elliot's mind stopped functioning and his body started to work overtime. He pulled on Olivia, taking her into the hallway. He held onto her as they fumbled their way down the stairs, their lips landing on whatever flesh was local. He pushed, backing her toward and into the bedroom. He kicked the door shut and pushed off of it, forcing the pair onto the bed. He pulled back, looking into her eyes, and he realized the position they were in. He opened his mouth to speak, "Liv..."

Olivia kissed him, stopping anything else from coming out of his mouth. She ran her hands up his back, tugging on his tee-shirt. She dropped her head back when he pulled away from her lips and started kissing her neck. "El," she moaned softly. "What...where did..."

"I love you," Elliot interrupted. "I love you, and I want you, and I need you," he mumbled as his lips pressed against her skin. "Now. Always." He brought his eyes back to meet hers and said, "I'm not going anywhere, ever. You know that."

Olivia, breathing heavily, said, "You heard..."

"Everything," Elliot said with a nod. He went back to kissing her, stopping only when he began lifting her tank over her head. He threw it to the floor and assaulted her lips again, convincing himself it was okay to start tugging down her bottoms. His breath hitched as he prepared for her to stop him, but when she didn't, he slid both hands down into her pants and grazed her thighs. The rushed moment, the exhilaration, stopped. He looked down at her and said, "The way you are with her, the way you've been with all of my kids, especially her...you amaze me." He gently touched his lips to hers, slowly easing the flannel pants down.

Olivia's own system was failing. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. She let him peel away the layers, and she closed her eyes as she felt him lace her skin with butterfly kisses as each piece of clothing was stripped away. Finally, she managed to move her arms and she lifted off his shirt. He helped her get him out of his sweat pants, and they spent a few moments looking. Observing. Studying each other. She reached out to touch him, as a child would touch something fragile, and he gasped when her fingers covered him.

Elliot moved closer, looming over her as her hand moved up and down his shaft, and he moaned. It was low and primal, almost a growl, and he forced his eyes open. "Are you sure..."

"Yes," Olivia said before he was finished asking. She kissed him, running her hands down his back, and as he pushed into her slowly, her fingers curled and her nails dug into his back.

This was the most magical, intimate, physically and emotionally satisfying moment of their lives. Elliot, moving slow, pushing deep inside of her, ran his hands over her arms. He grabbed her hands, pulled them away from his back and slid them up over her head. He grasped them tightly, linking their fingers, solidifying their bond. Every part of their bodies was connected now.

"Oh, God," Olivia moaned, pushing her head backward into the pillow as her back arched almost painfully.

Elliot kissed the skin of her chest as it rose to meet his face, and he took a nipple into his mouth, causing a gasp and a yelp from Olivia. He suckled on her until she started shaking, then moved, kissing up her torso. He kissed the spot behind her ear, nibbled on her earlobe, and whispered, "I love you."

Olivia squeezed his hands as she started to clench hard around him. "Elliot," she said with a soft moan. "Oh, God, Elliot," she groaned louder. "I love you," she said, her head turning and her eyes opening. She wanted to watch him, see him come completely undone as she'd only imagined him doing.

"Liv," Elliot said, dropping his head to kiss her. "Liv, baby," he moaned, his eyes rolling back into his head. He thrust deeper, harder, but not faster and forced himself to look her in the eyes. He almost came at the sight of the look of pure ecstasy on her face, knowing he was causing that, making her lose control. He kissed her again, hard and deep, and must have slipped, hitting some magic button inside of his lover.

Olivia screamed, a frantic, grunting cry, into his mouth. Her whole body felt as if it were ripping apart from the middle as she clamped down tighter around him, feeling him still pushing through it, making her orgasm last.

Elliot returned her cries with a loud series of moans and grunts, and a few choice curse words. He spilled inside of her, but kept moving, not ready or willing to stop.

When their bodies couldn't handle anymore, they slowed to a stop, remaining where they were. They were trying to breathe, trying to think, trying to calm down. The silence lasted five minutes as they kissed their way down to Earth.

"I've never done that before," Olivia said, softly, in shocked realization.

Elliot peered down at her. "Uh, what?" he asked. "Liv, I know you slept..."

"That was just sex," Olivia interrupted in a whisper, looking into his eyes. She never broke eye contact with him. "El, being with you...that was the first time I ever...the first time real love was part of it."

Elliot smiled down at her, then pulled her gently to roll over with her. He remained inside of her as they snuggled close. "Liv," he said in a whisper, "That was a first for me, too. It's never, uh, never been anything like that before." He didn't want to use his ex-wife's name, but he thought that making love to Kathy, because he did love her at one time, was never anything like what just happened with Olivia. "Baby, you just made this night so fucking perfect." He kissed her forehead, whispered, "I love you, so much," and let his eyes close.

Olivia, still unable to wrap her head around the intensity of what had just happened, smiled and sighed. She drifted to sleep, and for the first time in her life she wasn't afraid of "the morning after."

* * *

Olivia and Elliot walked into the squadroom the next day, carrying their coffee and smiling brightly. Elliot had a new swagger in his walk and Olivia seemed to glow. "Morning," she said cheerfully, greeting everyone in the bullpen.

"Olivia," a man in a suit said, walking over to her. "You have, if it's possible, gotten more beautful, Detective Benson."

Olivia gave him a sad smile. "Hello, Dean," she said. "Thanks," she added. An afterthought.

Elliot felt the need to come between them, then, and walked over. "Have you found Kathy?" he asked.

Porter looked up at him, glaring slightly. "Yeah," he said. "And her story checked out. She said she went to see him, to ask why he did what he did to your daughter. She cut her hand on the glass table, and Nick gave her his jacket to wrap it in. She gave it back when she left. The only cut on her is the one on her hand, and there is no way the person who did this walked away with only a scratch."

Elliot looked over at Fin. "So Kathy was here, talking, and none of you thought to pick up a goddamned phone and call me?"

Munch lifted his head a bit. "It's not your case, she's not your wife anymore," he said. "Why should we have called you?"

"To let me know that you had her," Elliot said. "This little son of a bitch beat the shit out of my pregnant sixteen year oild daughter, Kathy had something to do with his death, it would have been nice to know you had her."

"Sorry, man," Fin said. "How is Maureen doin' by the way?"

Elliot sighed, ran a hand down his face, and said, "She's as good as can be expected. She's healthy, she's fine as far as...she's sixteen and pregnant, and more concerned with learning how to use the internet on her cell phone than learning how to change a diaper." He rolled his eyes and said, "She's okay. Thanks."

"Oh," Olivia said, "Speaking of Maureen, we should take her somewhere to get a few maternity tops and stretchy jeans, so she feels a bit more comfortable. There's a great place on..."

"We?" Dean questioned. "Olivia, did you just say, 'We?"

Olivia turned, tilted her head, and said, "Yes. I did. I'm...helping Elliot with everything, and..."

"Okay," Cragen interrupted, not ready to witness the fireworks that would come when Dean found out he couldn't win Olivia back. "So Kathy's off the hook, that means the killer is still out there. Now, we need to find out who would have..."

A ringing phone interrupted him and Olivia answered it. "Special Vic...Kathleen?" she questioned. "What are you doing home? You should be in...okay, just stay there and stay quiet, we're on the way." She hung up and looked at Elliot. "Someone's trying to break into the house," she said.

Elliot and Olivia ran in step out of the squadroom. They were so scared and furious, that neither noticed Dean following close behind them.

**A/N: When Dean finds out Olivia isn't just 'helping' the Stablers, what will he do? Who is trying to get into the house and why? And Kathy comes back, but for what? More? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: When Dean finds out Olivia isn't just 'helping' the Stablers, what will he do? Who is trying to get into the house and why? And Kathy comes back, but for what?**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and characters, but he certainly didn't create 'em like this. TStabler© did. Story and contents belong to her. Thanks.**

"What the hell were you doing?" Elliot yelled.

The blonde on the couch cringed. "I had a key! At least, I thought I had a key. You changed the locks? Why the fuck did you change the locks?" she asked, angry.

"To keep you the hell out of my house," Elliot spat viciously. "Now, what the hell were you doing, Kathy?" he boomed in his burly-detective-interrogation-voice.

Kathy fidgeted nervously, her eye twitched, and she said, "I left some things here. I wanted to get them back without...without seeing you. Or the kids."

"Well, so much for that!" Elliot yelled. "What was it exactly that you needed?" he asked, folding his arms. "Because I've got news for you Kathy! If it was yours it's gone now. Everything that had your greasy fingerprints on it is gone."

Kathy looked up at him. "What?" she asked. "You...everything? Elliot, how could you do that?"

Elliot laughed angrily. He smirked and said, "You didn't want me or our family anymore. You walked out, Kathy, and you made it perfectly clear that you were never coming back. Goodwill thanked you for very generous donation."

"You gave...everything...away," Kathy struggled, her breathing rapid. She looked up at Olivia then. "You really have done it, haven't you? You've totally eviscerated me from every part of his life!"

"Don't blame her," Elliot scolded. "She wasn't even...she didn't have anything to do with why you left, and you know it. She's not trying to replace you, Kathy. She's not trying to be a mother to our kids, and she isn't trying to be the woman of my dreams. She doesn't have to try, she just is! Get it through your head!"

Kathy scoffed. "That's rich," she said. "And what are _you_ doing here?" she asked, turning her head toward Dean Porter.

"Watching all hell break loose," Porter said, his arms folded and his eyes wide.

"He followed us out, thinking some psycho was trying to break in and hurt my kid," Elliot fumed. "I would thank him, if it didn't turn out to be you!" he yelled, laughing in morbid disbelief.

Kathy pressed her lips together. "Look," she said. "The jewelry...I know you didn't give that..."

"Pawned it," Elliot interrupted. "And it's all helping to pay for the grandchild we are about to have."

"Half of that was my mother's! My grandmother's!" Kathy cried.

Elliot shook his head. "No, the heirloom stuff is in the safe, which you no longer have the combination to, and it's going to the girls when they get older, like we agreed. Don't you get it? Nothing in this house is yours anymore. You lost it all when you took off and moved in with that Wall-Street shithead."

Kathy shook her head and looked at him, wide-eyed. "I only left because you were sleeping..."

"No, he wasn't," Kathleen's voice interrupted.

Kathy turned and glared at her daughter. "Okay," she spat through gritted teeth and turning back to Elliot. "I left because I _thought _you were sleeping with your bitchy partner," she said.

"I'm standing right here, ya know," Olivia scoffed. "Look, can we put Kathy's little breaking and entering on hold, and get back to why you," she said, pointing to Kathleen, "Aren't in school?"

Kathleen shook her head and said, "If you wanna keep talking about Mom's mental break down, that's fine with me."

"Why aren't you in school?" Olivia asked again. She sat next to the teen and brushed her hair back. "What happened, honey?" she asked softly.

Elliot couldn't believe it. After everything Kathleen had said and done, Olivia was still so nurturing to her. It made his heart swell.

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "The kids," she said. "They're all teasing me about being, like, the world's youngest aunt. They wanna know what happened to Nick because they assume my father the cop had him whacked, you two were on the front page of the Times...again...and all the boys wanna know if they can come over to meet my hot stepmother, I just...had to get away from it all. I went to the nurse, pretended to call Dad, and told her that he was on a case and told me to get a cab home."

"She bought that?" Olivia asked. "I should have a nice little chat with that nurse. She is clearly not capable of keeping you kids safe. Do you know what could have happened to you? This is a rough city, Katie!"

"Nothing happened," Kathleen shrugged.

"You need to promise me, right now, that you will never pull anything like that again," Olivia said, sternly, looking into the girl's eyes. "I need to know where you are, all the time. I need to know you're safe, Katie. Your father and I need to know that."

Kathleen looked at Olivia and gasped a bit. She knew, then, that Olivia really did love her and worry about her. Something she never fully got from her real mother. "Okay," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Liv."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Kathleen and said, "And as for the kids teasing you, you gotta know what they're thinking. They're thinking, 'Wow, her father is on the front page of the newspaper, being a hero. I wish my dad was that cool.' And they're thinking, 'Geez, that baby her sister is having is gonna be so cute. I wish I could have someone tiny and adorable to play with.' And they're thinking, 'That Nick was such an asshole. I need Kathleen Stabler to tell me how, exactly, he was killed because I really hope he got what he deserved." She brushed Kathleen's hair back and smiled. "They're jealous, Katie. They have always been jealous of you guys, because your father is a pretty cool guy, and he's practically famous in this city, and you are all so close to each other. They want your life."

Kathleen sniffled and looked at Olivia. She smiled and said, "You forgot something."

"What?" Olivia asked.

"My dad has this awesome, gorgeous partner," Kathleen said. "And she is the reason that my dad is practically famous, and why we're such a close family. You're keeping us together, Liv," she explained. "I get that now." She threw her arms around Olivia and squeezed.

Kathy, watching this, groaned. "Oh, my God, I can not believe this is happening," she mumbled.

"Neither can I," Porter said, shaking his head. "Did she say 'stepmother?"

"Eventually," Elliot said with a nod and a smile. "That's where we're heading," he told the room.

"When did this start?" Porter asked.

Elliot ran a hand down his face, brushing his fingers over the corners of his lips, trying to stay calm. "Can we just deal with the fact that my ex-wife, who may or may not know who killed Nick The Dick, just broke into my house?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at the FBI agent.

Porter sighed. "Yeah," he said with a nod. "Kathy Malone," he began, "Come with me please?" He held out his arm and looked at Kathy.

Kathy looked him up and down, her face contorting in what was her attempt at a seductive smile. "Sure," she said, taking his hand.

Porter rolled his eyes. "We're going back to the station, not out to dinner," he griped. "I think dating my ex-girlfriend's boyfriend's ex-wife is against some kind of code, or something, anyway."

"I've always been the kind of girl that breaks the rules," Kathy said, narrowing her eyes as she stood up. "Elliot, you'll come crawling back eventually, when she gets scared and runs away like she always does. Or when she gets tired of you and moves on to someone else. It's gonna happen, Elliot, and when it does, don't expect me to be so willing to make it work between..."

"Mom!" Kathleen yelled. "Shut up! Please! God, when did you go completely mental?" she asked. "I thought the crazy thing ran in Dad's side of the family!"

"Hey!" Elliot yelled, smirking. "Leave Grandma out of this!"

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "I was just making a point," she said. "You know, I used to look up to you, Mom. I used to think that I wanted to be just like you, and I actually prayed that I would be able to do it, but now...now I don't think I want to be anything like you." She stood up, grabbed her book bag, and said, "I'd honestly rather be like Liv! I'm going back to school. I'm gonna tell anyone who says anything to me about Liv, or Maureen, or Dad, that they're right. My stepmother is awesome, and my father is amazing, and my sister is gonna be a great mother, because she has the best example." She turned to Olivia and nodded. "You, Liv," she said with a smile. She walked out of the house, leaving Kathy heartbroken, Elliot stunned, and Olivia near tears.

"Well," Porter said, clearing his throat to break the silence and the tension. "We should all get going," he said. "You two have a case, I'm sure, and I have to get back to work with Munch and Fin." He shoved Kathy lightly, pushing her out the door. Olivia followed, holding onto Kathy's arm so she wouldn't run. Porter said a quick "thank you" to her, then he turned back to Elliot. "And we will be talking about this thing with you and Olivia."

"What is there to talk about?" Elliot asked. "We're together, she's living here, we're having a baby, what else do you wanna know?"

"You're having a...what?" Porter asked, suddenly pale and sick looking.

Elliot smirked. "I meant Maureen's," he said. "Liv and I are gonna be grandparents, and yes, eventually we will have a kid of our own."

Porter grinned, a vile, evil, smile. "You think she's really gonna make that kind of commitment? You think she's really gonna be a wife and a mother?" he asked.

"Yeah," Elliot said. "I do."

Porter laughed. "You really don't know the kind of girl she is," he said. "Just wait," he warned. He turned and walked out of the house.

Elliot smirked and shook his head. He knew that Porter was the one who never really knew Olivia, and he would be the one waiting, watching Olivia become a wife and a mother, sooner than anyone expected.

**A/N: Uh-oh! What does that mean? Will Olivia run? Who killed Nick? Surprises in the next chapter, too, if you want more! Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Reality hits the Stablers, and Olivia, and it hits them hard.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters involved, TStabler© owns this story.**

"Breath, Mo," Olivia said, holding the girl's hair back for the third night in a row. "Just breathe," she said. It occurred to her that she was telling it to herself, too.

"Liv," Maureen said, heaving, "I can't do this anymore."

Olivia's heart broke. "Honey, I know you feel awful, and this is hard, but you have to stay strong, okay? That baby needs you, and you've got me and your father…you are not alone in this. This will get better," she told the teen, hoping she was right.

Maureen shook her head. "You heard Doctor Warner," she said. "I could develop anemia, I'm at high risk for high-blood-pressure and preclamp…whatever, but I could die and so could the baby!" She flushed the toilet with a shaking hand, then sat back on her heels. "You're stuck here with us, because I'm too afraid to do this without you, and I'm probably the reason you and Dad haven't made any real progress in your relationship, because it's kind of hard to get romantic and cute with a blubbering idiot like me waddling around, complaining all the time." She rubbed her belly and cried, "I'm ruining Daddy's life. I've ruined mine, and I'm gonna ruin this baby's! I'm ruining your life! I'm so sorry!"

Olivia wrapped her arms around the young blonde. "There is nothing to be sorry about, Mo," she whispered as she rocked the crying girl. "Mistakes are made, but from them…we learn, and we grow, and this particular mistake is giving us a little angel. No one has ruined anything, sweetie. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, Maur. I got you an iron supplement. You're taking vitamins, you're eating right, and the only way you'll raise your blood-pressure is if you don't calm down, baby."

Maureen nodded into Olivia's chest, unintentionally wiping her leaking eyes and nose on her pajama top. "Okay," she said, clutching onto Olivia. Her knees were as close to her chest as they could get, and she sobbed as Olivia wrapped the shaking ball of Maureen up in her arms.

Outside the closed bathroom door, leaning against the wall in a similarly desperate position, Elliot cried along with his daughter. He rolled his red, swollen eyes toward the ceiling and shook his head slowly, feeling the tears shake loose and roll down his face. "I know," he said, "That I haven't really talked to you in a long time. But I have my reasons, and you know better than anyone what they are. I have a favor to ask," he whispered, blinking slowly, expelling more hot tears from his filled eyes.

"Please," he begged, "Keep her safe. Don't make her suffer, and give her a healthy, happy, child, because she doesn't deserve to be punished for my mistakes. Or her own, for that matter." He swiped a hand down his face, brushing tears away, which were only replaced by new, fresh ones. "And thanks," he whispered, his breath shaking. "Thank you for giving me Liv. Not just now, for this, but for…everything. All the trials and tragedies you've dropped into my lap…you made up for them all when you sent her walking into my life. I will always be grateful for the one thing I will never take for granted. Her." He closed his eyes again, then as he stopped praying. He listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom, the sobbing and apologizing and comforting words from Olivia that he knew were doing little to help. He shook his head, wondering if praying would be enough.

By the time the door creaked open, Elliot had cried himself out. His eyes, dry and red, puffy and empty, turned up toward Olivia. He tried to smile.

Olivia crouched down beside him, rested a hand on his shoulder, and said, "She fell asleep in the corner, and as strong as I am…"

"I got her," Elliot said, knowing that Olivia meant she didn't want to be responsible for dropping a pregnant Maureen. He rose, as Olivia did, and walked into the bathroom. He knelt beside his daughter and brushed the hair off of her face. "My baby," he said sadly. He squeezed his eyes shut, then scooped her up into his arms. He carried her, with Olivia following, into her bedroom.

Olivia pulled down the sheets for him and watched as he placed Maureen in the middle of the bed, kissed both of her cheeks, brushed his fingers down the side of her face.

Elliot said nothing as he watched Olivia pull the sheets back up over his sleeping daughter. He swatted away a tear as he saw her bend down to kiss Maureen's forehead. He didn't deserve her, he thought, and he had to find a way to let her know her realized that.

Olivia straightened up and looked at him, and she closed her eyes slowly, breathing deeply. She hated to see him in pain, and she hated to see him cry. Right now, she was watching as both happened and she could do nothing to stop it. "El," she whispered, as her eyes drifted open. "I can't say anything that's gonna make you feel better right now, except I love you."

"That's more than enough," Elliot whispered back to her, kissing her sweetly. He gave her a gentle prod toward the door and turned out the light in his daughter's room. He exhaled, long and slow, as he closed the door, and turned back to Olivia. He opened his mouth to say something, but paused and looked around. Then he smiled, letting a small laugh out. "Ya know," he said with a smirk, "Lately we've been having an awful lot of our more important conversations in the hallway."

Olivia chuckled. She brought her hand up to his face and traced the light, pink tracks of his tears. "It's a good hallway," she whispered.

Elliot grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand from moving, and he moved it away from his face, bringing it down, holding it at his side. His thumb rubbed the side of her hand, then danced over her knuckles, and he said, "You're amazing with her." He sniffled, pulling her toward their room. "I mean it, Liv, if you weren't here, she'd be a mess, because I'm not sure I could it. I don't think I could handle this all by myself. I'd get mad, I'd let her see me cry, which I'm trying like hell not to do now, and I wouldn't know the first thing to say to calm her down the way you do."

Olivia sat on the edge of their bed, preparing to crawl back under the covers, where she was before Maureen woke them both up. "You would be just fine, El, because you are an amazing father, and you would do anything to keep her safe and happy."

"Did a great job so far," Elliot scoffed, sitting and throwing his legs up onto his side of the bed.

Olivia sighed. "Don't do that," she said, shaking her head. "I just spent an hour convincing Maureen this is not her fault. Do I have to do the same thing with you?" she asked. "If anyone is to blame here, it's that son of a bitch, Nick, for not being more careful with her. And maybe Kathy, who should have had at least one conversation with your kids about what to do if something like this happened. I know you tried, but…what teenage girl is really gonna listen to her father when it comes to boys and sex?" she asked with an exhausted, irritated expression.

Elliot chuckled. "I guess you're right," he said. "Something she said got to me, though, baby."

"Who said what?" Olivia asked, finally flattening out and making herself comfortable.

"Maur," Elliot said. "In the bathroom. She said that she's the one keeping us from having time alone, or being romantic."

"And cute," Olivia said, smiling with her eyes closed as she cuddled into Elliot. "She thinks we need to be cuter."

Elliot laughed and kissed her forehead. "I think we're pretty damn adorable," he said. "But she was right. I mean, it isn't her fault at all, but she's right. I think we need to take some time out and just be us for a little while. A few hours not worrying about my pregnant kid, or work, or Kathleen's sudden bid for the presidency of the Olivia Benson fan club," he listed with a small laugh.

"Tell you what," Olivia said with a yawn. "You find a way to stop the world for a few hours, and I will be more than happy to be alone with you somewhere other than in bed. Or the hallway."

"You can bet your cute, little ass I'm gonna find a way to do that," Elliot said with a yawn of his own.

"Okay, Superman," Olivia mumbled, curling herself around him.

Elliot turned out the bedside lamp and wrapped her up in his arms. "i will," he said. He wound his leg around her, becoming a second blanket. "I love you too much not to," he whispered against her skin. It took a moment of silence and the feel of her steady breath on his neck for him to realize she had already fallen asleep.

* * *

The next morning was spent arguing with the children over breakfast. It began with Lizzie and Dickie bickering about homework and a missing book, continued with Kathleen getting irritated because Olivia wouldn't stop cooking or cleaning to sit down and eat, and ended with Maureen feeling too nauseous to eat but forcing herself to for the sake of the child growing inside of her.

At work, Olivia and Elliot spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon chasing leads and following clues. It all led to a perp that had been dead for eight years. They wasted time, exhausted themselves, and came up empty-handed. They went back to the station, deciding to send the facts off to technical response to see if it was a case of identity theft or a man who had faked his own death.

Olivia sat at her desk, nursing her fifth cup of coffee, waiting for the phone to ring. "Morales needs to work faster," she mumbled rubbing her tired eyes.

"He has to go through hundreds of bank and phone records," Munch said. "Not to mention he has to run computer searches for obituaries and death certificates and medical rec…"

"All right," Olivia said, shutting him up. "Sorry, I had a moment of selfish impatience. God, what, am I not allowed to complain about sitting here on my ass doing nothing for two hours while the slow-as-shit computers in this fucking ancient building take their sweet fucking time and let rapist gets away with murder?"

Fin stared blankly at her. "Run-on-sentences," he said raising an eyebrow. "You got less than three hours of sleep," he concluded.

"It's scary that you can tell how much sleep I've had by the way I talk," Olivia said, yawning.

Fin laughed. "I know it is, Baby-Girl," he said.

Olivia got up to get more coffee when Elliot walked back into the squadroom.

"Where the hell have you been?" Munch asked, plopping into his seat.

Elliot waved a hand, blowing him off. "Liv," he said. "You gotta come with me."

Olivia looked at him, wide-eyed. "Morales got something on Gottlieb?" she asked, hopeful.

"No," Elliot said. "Just come with me. It's important," he told her, grabbing her hand.

Olivia dropped the coffee cup into the garbage as Elliot pulled her through the room and out of the door. He led her toward the elevator, dropped her hand as he told her to get in, and pushed the button for the seventh floor.

"El," Olivia said, "Their rewiring that floor. The whole unit's been temporarily moved to the Two-Nine. The place isn't…"

"Shucks," Elliot said, snapping his fingers and cutting her off. "Guess we're just gonna have to deal with being alone in the dark then."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into a dim, too-quiet corridor. Elliot, grabbing her hand again, guided her toward an opened door on the left side of the hallway. The desks were covered in thick plastic and the walls and ceiling were filled with holes. Loose wires were hanging, and buttons and switches that weren't connected to anything were scattered over the floor.

"What are we doing here, Stabler?" Olivia asked, looking around and the deserted, dusty squadroom.

Elliot pushed open another door, and Olivia gasped. "No time for romance my ass," he said, grinning.

Olivia stepped into the abandoned interrogation room, walking closer to the metal table. She ran her fingers along the tablecloth, she swiped her hand over the flames of the candles, and she chuckled at the paper plates and plastic utensils that reminded her they were in a police station. She smiled and shook her head as she said, "This is beautiful."

"It's all right," Elliot said, closing the door and moving next to her. "Sit," he said, pulling out her chair. She nodded her thanks and he sat on the other side of the table, across from her. "It's not exactly an evening at Minardi's but…" He stopped and lifted the top plate off of her place setting.

Olivia laughed as she looked down at the paper-wrapped deli sandwich and large pickle, the tiny cup of cole slaw, and little packet of mustard on her plate. "Elliot, this is fantastic," she said, still chuckling, as she bit into her pickle.

"I told you I'd find a way to make time for us," Elliot said, his eyes sparkling as he smiled at her.

Olivia looked at him, saw the flames of the candles reflecting in his blue eyes, and she felt every problem she had slip away. "You did," she whispered, amazed.

Elliot took the top plate off of his own dish, and then he looked at her. He held up half of his sandwich, put it on her plate, and took half of hers.

Olivia laughed, a good, strong laugh, and her head flew back.

"You look so beautiful right now," Elliot said as her head straightened up. "Not that you aren't always beautiful, but I haven't seen you laugh or smile like that in a long time, and I love the way you look when you're that happy." He put his pickle on her plate and took her cole slaw.

Olivia chuckled softly, then shook her head. "God," she said, calming down, "You really are…something else."

"Liv, we don't relax," Elliot said with a shrug. "With things at home, things at work, there's never a moment of relief, or a moment where we can let it all go and just be happy being with each other. We need this," he said. He lifted his can of soda, sipped, and handed it to her. He looked into her eyes, and said, "I am promising you, right here, right now, that no matter how crazy things get, and they're gonna get fucking insane, I will always take the time to tell you, show you, how much I love you."

"I love you, too, El," Olivia said, giving him a smile and a slow blink. "And whether you believe this or not, this is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. I don't know how I'm gonna top this when It's my turn to blow you completely away."

Elliot put down his sandwich and slid his chair back, getting up. "You already have," he said. He pushed the button on the wall monitor and a soft song filtered into the room. "I rewired some things myself," he said with a smirk. He held his hand out to her and said, "Dance with me."

Olivia, wiping her mouth with the paper napkin he'd provided for her, cocked an eyebrow at him, but she didn't refuse. She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her to her feet.

Elliot wrapped one arm around her waist as they slowly began to move. "Now, sing to me," he demanded in a whisper.

Olivia furrowed her brow, but then listened to the song. Her face fell into an amazed expression and her eyes lit up.

"Our song," Elliot said. "It's us. Well, it used to be, and in a way it still is," he said, moving her to the slow rhythm. "I need you more than I have ever needed anyone, baby. I know it, you know it, and I know you feel the same way." He gazed into her shocked eyes and said, "I don't know what I did to deserve someone as amazing as you. Honey, you came into my life and turned it upside down, and you made it better. And then, when it turned itself around again, you were still right there, making everything better. Making everything all right."

"El," Olivia whispered, "you didn't know you've done the same exact thing for me?"

Elliot pulled her closer, dancing with her. He hummed for a moment, and then sang, "And as long as you hold me tight, we'll be holding on forever."

Olivia sang the next line with him. "And we'll only be making it right…"

Elliot brought his head toward hers, giving her a mind-numbing kiss, stopping her.

The music seemed to swell as they stilled, letting their tongues take on the dance for a moment. Then they swayed as they kissed, and Elliot pulled away. He stopped dancing, he stopped moving her, he looked her straight in the eyes, still and certain, and said, "Forever's gonna start tonight."

Olivia wasn't sure what he meant, or why he'd suddenly gotten so serious, until he squeezed her hand. She furrowed her brow, feeling something strange pressing into her skin. She looked down, seeing her hand in his and the brilliant, sparkling sapphire adorning her left ring finger. She lost her breath, she stopped thinking, and she looked back up at him with terribly large, wide eyes, and felt tears dripping down from the corners of them.

Elliot bit his bottom lip for a moment, then blinked and let out a small breath. "Marry me," he said, whisper-quiet.

Olivia, frozen, didn't move. She didn't speak. She couldn't. She heard the distant notes and Bonnie Tyler's words, and she mentally agreed. She was, at the moment, having what could only be described as a total eclipse of the heart. She tried to speak, but nothing happened. She tried to move, but nothing happened. Every part of her body, including the voice in her head, was yelling, "Answer him!" but nothing happened.

"Liv," Elliot breathed, his hand gripping hers tightly, his nerves and fear obvious. "Not right now, I know that. We have a lot to deal with and a wedding is not what we need to be…I'm just asking, promise me forever, promise me tonight, that…"

"Yes," Olivia said, her feet finally taking a step, her lungs finally taking a breath. "I was…I was trying to say it…but I couldn't…yes." She nodded and tried to stop shaking as she squeezed his hand back just as hard as he'd been gripping hers.

Elliot's eyes widened. He pulled her toward him, kissing her, running his hands up her arms, and once again praying. This time, thanking God she said yes, thanking Him for her, and asking God to help him keep her. He couldn't help but feel like he would lose her at any moment, adn he couldn't help feeling like that moment was just around the corner.

**A/N: A sapphire ring? Why? And do they tell the kids about it? What about Cragen? And another complication brought on by Maureen…and Kathy. Want it? Review here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Old habits die hard. Maureen and Kathy find out about the engagement, and react very differently.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns SVU and the characters involved, TStabler© owns this story.**

Olivia was typing furiously at her computer, wondering what was so distracting. Why couldn't she concentrate? What felt so different? Then she noticed the glimmering blue bauble on her hand. Her hand, which was shaking like a leaf trying to hold on to its branch as the wind blew harshly around it. She scoffed. That was the perfect metaphor for her life right now. She was trying desperately to hold on to the one thing that kept her from blowing away: Elliot. She shook her hands, clenching and relaxing them, cracking her knuckles, but the shaking continued. She slid the ring off and the shaking stopped. She furrowed her brow, slid the ring back on, and felt physically sick as she saw her hand shake again.

She closed her eyes, took a breath, and rolled her neck, hearing it crack.

"Damn," Fin said from his desk. "You tense, Baby-Girl?" he asked, signing his last document.

"You have no idea," Olivia said, realizing just how anxious she really was.

"You need to relax," Dean said, clearing his throat, seeing the ring sparkle on her hand. "Munch, where are we on this?" he asked, holding up a file, looking away from Olivia.

Munch shook his head. "Dead end," he said. "No one knows anything. Kid killed himself, it's starting to seem."

Olivia tried to block out the noise; she was already feeling queasy, she didn't need to think about Nick. She squeezed her eyes shut again and pushed her chair back, trying to breathe deeply.

Elliot looked up from his share of their paperwork when he heard the noise and furrowed his brow. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.

Olivia shook her head quickly. "Just tired," she lied, not looking at him. She couldn't believe that she was engaged, to Elliot, or that she was panicking about it. She got up to get herself a cup of coffee, just as Munch flicked on his radio.

"Too damn quiet in here," Munch mumbled as he turned up the volume.

_Turn around..._

Olivia dropped her cup into the sink. Her chest tightened and it felt as if her lungs had suddenly filled with nails rather than air. She gripped onto the counter, trying to ignore the music, and she tried to breathe. The next lyric she heard couldn't have been more true.

_Every now and then I get a little bit terrified..._

She turned around and ran from the room, bolting down the hall, into the bathroom. She couldn't catch her breath as she struggled to turn on the cold water. The knobs wouldn't turn; her palms were sweating. She heard the door open, but she wasn't sure how since the pounding in her ears was so loud. She saw his hands on the knobs before she could turn around. He had a paper-towel in his hand and he wet it, then pressed it to the back of her neck.

"Breathe," he said softly.

Olivia inhaled deeply, thankful he knew her so well, and she looked over at him, her panicking eyes focusing on his, and she noticed that they were as dark as her ring at the moment. She exhaled.

"Just breathe, baby," he said again, stopping her before she could speak.

Olivia took another breath in, and she let her eyes close as Elliot re-wet the paper-towel, this time pressing it to her forehead. "I'm so sorry," she said, still panting. "I didn't...this doesn't mean I don't want to..."

"Honey," Elliot said, lifting her chin to get her to look at him, "I know. It's okay. Just calm down," he told her. "Why do you think I didn't buy you a diamond? You don't do well with long-term commitment. Neither one of us is really ready for this, it's gonna be a very long engagement, and you need to get used to the fact that I'm not gonna go any..."

Olivia turned to face him, pulling his hand off of her forehead, stopping him from talking. "You know why I panicked?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Elliot nodded. "You run," he said with a shrug. "You always run when it gets too serious. You run when you feel like you're trapped, when you feel like you're stuck. For a while, you always ran because the guy wasn't me. Your subconscious hasn't fully grasped that it's me now and you can stop running," he told her. "You didn't want to, but you panicked. Force of habit."

Olivia chuckled. "I guess," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not changing my mind," she said.

"You told me," Elliot laughed.

"I need you to know that," Olivia said, looking up at him. Her eyes had gone glassy and her face was flushed.

Elliot stared into her eyes. "I know that," he said with a nod. "No doubt in my mind," he assured her.

Olivia, breathing easier, slipped her arms around him and kissed him, holding him close to her. She felt her ring snag on his jacket. It reminded her that he had claimed her, and he was considerate enough to not get her a ring that would really scare her. He knew her, and he loved her despite her flaws. This is why she had to stop running.

* * *

They got home at almost two in the morning, and they stopped on the sidewalk, looking at Kathy, who was sitting on the top step in the cold. "I didn't try to break in this time," she said, shivering.

"Why are you here?" Elliot asked, stepping in front of Olivia, clutching her left hand in his, hiding her ring, avoiding a fight.

"W-w-wanted to s-s-say I'm s-s-sorry," Kathy chattered.

"How long have you been out here?" Olivia asked, furrowing her brow. "It's cold, but it's not that..."

"Since midnight," Kathy said. "I need to t-t-talk to y-y-you," she said, pointing to Elliot. "Alone," she added.

Elliot shook his head. "Anything you say to me, you say to her," he said, jerking his head toward Olivia. "And can you move so I can open the door?" he asked.

Kathy stood, then waited to follow the couple into the house. She walked in, and watched Olivia let go of Elliot's hand, then hang her jacket and walk into the kitchen. "Elliot," she said, walking toward the couch, "I didn't come here to fight." She sat, looking up and rubbing her hands together.

"No way that's not gonna happen," Elliot scoffed. "We always fight. What do you want?" he asked.

"I want to..." Kathy stopped, seeing Olivia come back from the kitchen with two steaming mugs.

"Here," Olivia said, holding the hot coffee out to her. She handed the other cup to Elliot and got a peck on the lips in return.

Kathy flinched, both at watching the kiss and feeling a pang of guilt. Olivia, whom she hated, had just brought her hot coffee. She looked up and saw them, still looking into each others eyes, foreheads pressed together, smiling. Elliot sipped the coffee she had brought for him and Kathy shook her head. It was never like that when she was with him, never that close. "I..." she began, causing them both to snap their heads away from each other and towards her. "I wanted to see how Maureen was," she said, taking a sip of the coffee, grateful for the heat.

"I have a phone," Elliot said, handing his mug to Olivia, sharing his coffee with her. They sat on the loveseat, close, and he linked his hand with hers. He absentmindedly thumbed over ring.

Kathy cleared her throat. "I thought I could...see her," she said. "See you. I thought you'd...be alone."

Elliot crinkled his eyebrows. "Why would I be alone?" he asked, taking the shared coffee back from Olivia. He sipped and handed it back.

"I just thought she might have gone home by now," Kathy shrugged. "I didn't know things were really, um, serious." She sipped her coffee and blinked. "Look, I didn't have anything to do with Nick's death. I was completely cleared of..."

"We know," Olivia interrupted, handing Elliot the coffee. "We do work with the people who interrogated you, ya know," she said.

Kathy nodded, licking her lips. "So, I didn't do anything wrong, why are you still being such a dick?" she asked, looking at Elliot and ignoring Olivia.

Elliot raised both eyebrows as he sipped his coffee. "Really?" he asked. "You don't think you leaving me for some twenty-two year old stockbroker is a good reason for me to despise you?" he asked. "Kathy, I may not have been in love with you anymore, but I was trying to make it work. You know, I did love you. You were my wife, the mother of my kids, and you threw it all away. Do you know how badly I wanted to do that? Years ago? And I never did, because I couldn't destroy us like that." He sipped his coffee again and handed the cup to Olivia. "No matter how much I love her," he said.

Kathy sighed again. "So asking you if there is any way we could work this out would..."

"Be pointless," Elliot said, finishing her sentence. "Liv and I...we're actually...I asked her to marry..."

"You did?" a cheerful sounding voice called from the stairs.

The three adults looked to see Maureen, and her bigger belly, smiling brightly as she slowly walked down the rest of the steps. "Uh," Elliot said, unsure if he should say it. "Yeah, I did," he nodded.

Maureen walked as fast as she could over to them, pulled them into a close hug, and said, "This is so great! I can't believe...I mean it's really...wow! Where's the ring?"

Kathy heard the word "ring" and realized what he was trying to tell her. She really was too late, and the rage built up again, stifling any guilt she may have felt over hating Olivia.

Olivia chuckled and glanced at Elliot as she held out her hand to Maureen. "Right here," she said with a smile.

Maureen looked at the ring, then looked at her father. "Daddy," she said, "You know this isn't a..."

Elliot scratched his head. "People at work...they, uh, probably shouldn't know it's an engagement ring, so...I didn't get her a diamond yet. I will though, later."

"Oh," Maureen said, nodding in understanding. "It's really beautiful, though," she said with a smile. "Anyway, Liv, I came down because I'm hungry but I don't know what I'm supposed to eat this late."

Kathy opened her mouth with a big smile to answer but Olivia said, "There's a Tupperware container in the fridge. Carrots and celery sticks, and take one of the cups of ranch dip off of the top shelf."

"Thanks," Maureen said, grinning as she padded slowly into the kitchen.

"Olivia," Kathy said, annoyed with a furrowed brow, "Forgive me, but you don't have kids, and you've never been pregnant. How the hell do you know what she needs?" She put the coffee mug down on the table in front of her and said, "I'm her mother. I should be..."

Elliot and Olivia started talking at the same time. Elliot cleared his throat and held up a hand, stopping Olivia. "Kathy," he said, "If you ever say anything like that to her again, you'll regret it. And yeah, you should be the one helping Maureen, but you walked out, remember? You wanted to send her away, wanted nothing to do with her. Liv knows what she's doing. She's amazing with kids, and when we have our own she's gonna be even..."

"You plan on having more kids?" Kathy asked, surprised. "With her?"

Olivia scoffed, then. "Okay, ya know what? I am really getting tired of you talking about me like I'm not here," she said. "You got something to say to me, then say it, Kathy."

Kathy turned her head, finally acknowledging her, and said, "You probably shouldn't be a mother, Olivia. You didn't have the best example to learn from, you know that." She stood and looked down at Olivia. "You shouldn't have them, especially with Elliot, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you impart your mother's drunken wisdom on my kids."

Olivia rose, readying to pounce, but Elliot was quick to stand and get between them. "Kathy!" Elliot yelled, holding Olivia back. "That's it, I gave you a chance...I thought you were here to apologize...just get out. If I let her go, she'll kill you. Just go."

"Elliot, it's the truth and you know it," Kathy said, her eyes wide.

Elliot moved, shoving her toward the door. "Get out, now. You have no right to insult her like that, especially in her own house!"

"Her house?" Kathy squealed, shocked as the cold from outside hit her when the door flew open.

Elliot pushed her through the door. "Yes," he said, "Get it through your head, Kathy! I don't want to make anything work with you. Stay away from me, stay away from Liv. By the way, she's an amazing mother, you could learn something from her. If you wanna see the kids, call my lawyer." He slammed the door and turned back to Olivia.

"I'm fine," Olivia said, answering his unasked question.

Elliot walked to her quickly, wrapping her in his arms. "God, she's such a bitch," he whispered, running his hands down her back. "I'm sorry, baby," he said, kissing her.

"For what?" Olivia asked. "I know why she said it," she said, kissing him back. "And I'm fine. I know I'm nothing like my mother."

Maureen, munching on a carrot behind her, asked, "When are you two getting married?" She wanted to change the subject.

"Not for a while," Elliot said, his chin resting on the top of Olivia's head. "Why, honey?" he asked.

"I just wanna be able to tell my child that Grandma and Grandpa are happily married and what true love looks like," Maureen said with a shrug, "That's all." She rubbed her belly and said, "Guess that means you've got about three months."

Elliot laughed and kissed Olivia's head. "It'll be longer than that," he said. "A lot longer. No one at work..."

"Oh, the work thing," Maureen said again. "That Dean guy knows," she said, biting into her vegetable.

"Dean wouldn't..." Olivia stopped, then looked up at Elliot. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, he would."

**A/N: Does Dean let the cat out of the bag? Maureen wakes up crying in the middle of the night, and asks Olivia for a huge favor. And the Stablers get an unexpected surprise. But what is it? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Did Dean tell Cragen anything? What happens as a result? Life is only going to get harder, but will they get closer, or drift farther apart?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story belong to the mind, heart, and soul of TStabler©**

Elliot and Olivia were slightly panic stricken as they walked into work the next morning. Olivia had moved the deep-blue ring to her right finger to avoid suspicion, and Elliot had used an extra dab if cologne to mask the fact that he and Olivia smelled like the same detergent.

They were avoidant, not looking at each other, making seem as if they had not arrived together, stepping into the squadroom and quickly sitting. No sitter had their butts hit the chairs did Cragen come out of his office.

"Hot one," the captain yelled. He walked over to the white board and taped up a photo of a young girl. "This is Marla Ripolas," Cragen said. "She's twelve, and she was last seen crossing Thirty-Fourth Street when a witness claims she was pulled into a white van."

Fin raised a pen into the air. "Question," he said. "What are we supposed to…"

"The woman wrote down the license plate number," Cragen said. "The van is registered to Clark McDonough."

Elliot slapped his desk. "Son of a bitch made parole," he spat.

Olivia shook her head. "How? Victims talked, parents spoke at every hearing, I even…"

"He didn't make parole. He escaped," Cragen said, folding his arms. "Along with three other men, who have since been caught. But guess who was storing his van for him while he was in lock-up?"

"Nick," Olivia said, sitting back and shaking her head. "Mother fucker," she cursed, biting her lip.

Cragen nodded. "We get this hump, we get Nick's killer. Two birds with one big ass rock."

"Hey, where's Porter?" Munch asked. "If this asswipe crosses state lines…"

"If he leaves our jurisdiction, I will call Agent Porter back," Cragen interrupted. "But I had no further use for him here. Until that happens, though, we are on this, twenty-four-seven! I'm not stopping, and none of you are, until that little girl is home in her bed."

Elliot stood up, as did Olivia, but Cragen said, "Fin, Munch, canvass the area and get the DMV to run the van. Call highway patrol. I already put a BOLO out on it, see if anything's in."

"Right," Munch said, leaving with Fin.

"You two," Cragen said, pointing to Olivia and Elliot, "Are gonna be dealing with a fuckload of paperwork if I don't like the answer to the question I'm about to ask."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Cap, look…"

"No, Stabler,_ you_ look," Cragen spat. "I kicked Porter the hell outta here for talking about the two of you the way he was, God forbid someone heard him. I don't take kindly to piece-of-shit feds smearing the names of my best detectives, but if he was telling me the truth…I'm willing to go to great lengths to protect the two of you, but my reach only extends so far."

Olivia knew, then, that Dean had told Cragen about Olivia and Elliot, and whether or not he believed it, or if it was true, he sent Porter packing to keep the rumors from spreading. "You had a question?" Olivia asked, looking up at her captain.

"I didn't think it needed to be asked now," Cragen said, looking into her eyes. "What the hell is going on with you two?" He turned to Elliot and said, "And think long and hard before you speak because you know I have seen through every lie you've ever told me. You two can't lie to me for shit."

Elliot ran a hand down his face. "She's helping me out with Maureen," he said. Not a lie. "And she's keeping me and my kids calm," he added. Also not a lie.

"Where's the part where you two are sleeping together?" Cragen asked. He saw both pairs of eyes shoot to his. "Weren't gonna tell me that one, huh?" he asked, a sneer on his face. "I want the truth, and I want it now, because I can't…"

"Fine," Olivia said, willing to be the one to rip the bandage off. "We're together, okay? We certainly didn't plan it, and you know me, I ran like hell. He just…runs faster." She ran a hand through her hair and then folded her arms. "What do you want us to do?" she asked.

Cragen, obviously upset, shook his head. "I want you to stop! That's what I want," he said, throwing a hand at them. "I know that won't happen, so you two have made my life, and yours, incredibly fucking difficult. This is a lot of shit neither one of you needs to deal with right now." He looked at Elliot. "Your kid's having a kid, you can't lose your job. And you," he said, turning to Olivia, "You can't leave without making the entire unit fucking miserable, unless I stick you in Computer Crimes or TARU where we'll at least see you every three hours or so,"

Olivia looked at him and furrowed her brow. "Do it then," she challenged. She didn't realize until now how ready she was to give up her job, her life as she knew it, for Elliot.

Cragen held up a finger. "Thought about it," he said. "But then the victims would all be at a great disadvantage because Elliot gets annoyed at them and pisses off their parents, Fin scares the shit out of them, and Munch reminds them of the Grim Fucking Reaper, so I need you two to tell me what the hell I am supposed to do!" He looked at the two faces before him, and he didn't see guilt, or remorse, or surprise. He saw readiness, understanding, and determination. "You don't care," he said.

"Do what ya gotta do," Elliot said, putting his hands in front of him, clasping his hands together.

Olivia shrugged. "We knew this would happen eventually. We just didn't think it would be this fast, or that you'd be this pissed off."

"How the fuck serious are you?" Cragen asked, confused. He folded his arms. "I'm telling you your jobs are at stake, your careers could be over. You don't even bat an eyelash. It's not making you question your relationship?"

Olivia looked at Elliot and raised both eyebrows. She looked back at Cragen and said, "Honestly? No. It's making me question my job."

Elliot snickered. "Cap," he said, relaxing slightly, "You had to have seen something going on between us. Feelings growing, a connection being made, it was so obvious to everyone for so long…this really shouldn't surprise you, and we're…pretty damn serious."

Cragen squeezed the bridge of his nose and said under his breath, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." He sighed again and shook out his shoulders. "Go talk to the panicking mother, tell her…"

Olivia's cell phone rang, interrupting them. She held up a finger and turned away from the conversation as she answered with a swift, "Benson. Maureen? Honey, what's wrong? No, no, we'll be right there! Just stay calm, okay?" She threw her phone back into her pocket and, white as a ghost, she looked at Elliot. "It's Maureen. We have to go," she said.

"Oh, God," Elliot breathed, following her out, leaving Cragen alone in the squadroom, still pissed off, but now incredibly worried, too.

* * *

"Slow down!" Olivia yelled. "I wanna get there alive," she warned.

"What did she say, exactly?" Elliot asked, changing lanes without his blinker.

Olivia held onto the handle on the side of the car and said, "She said she was in a lot of pain, and the school called an ambulance for her. They took her to Mercy General and she has been there for an hour, but she didn't want to bother us. That's all she said, now slow the hell down."

Elliot shook his head and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Liv, baby, she can't…"

"She won't," Olivia said, stopping him. "Just breathe and try not to kill us!" she yelled as he swerved to change lanes again.

Elliot hit the gas, speeding along, cutting people off. He made a sharp turn, burning rubber, and sped into the hospital's entrance. He pulled up to the lot reserved for cops and emergency vehicles and slapped the static-cling NYPD badge to the driver's side window. He left the door open as he ran into the building.

Olivia sighed, closing his door, and walked through the sliding glass doors after him, meeting him at the desk. She saw him flash his badge and heard him bark Maureen's name, as he would if they were there for a vic.

"Sir, please," the nurse said. "Calm down. She's in exam room three, but you can't…"

And just as it happened before, Elliot peeled off, not heeding the nurse's warning. He burst into the room, and was relieved to see a calm, still-pregnant Maureen lying in the bed. "Honey," he said softly, walking over to her. He sat on the bed beside her and cradled her head to his chest. "Oh, honey," he said again.

"Hi, Daddy," she whispered. "I'm sorry," she cried.

"For what, baby?" Elliot asked, brushing her hair back as he held her close to him.

Maureen shook her head. "I had cramps, so I thought that…so I made the school call an ambulance…and it…it was nothing," she sobbed into his chest, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for calling you and making you worry when I didn't even know what was wrong. I mean, I'm gonna be a mother, I should know what my body and my baby are trying to tell me, and I don't."

"Sweetie," Elliot soothed, rubbing her back, "You are just a kid, I don't expect you to know what's going on right now. That's why Liv and I are here, ya know. We're your parents, and we're here whenever you need us." He kissed her forehead and said, "And, for the record, I don't know any first-time-parent, myself included, who has any idea what they're doing."

"You were scared, too?" Maureen asked, looking up at her father.

Elliot scoffed. "God, Mo, I was so careful around Kathy. I took everything with sharp edges out of the apartment. I wouldn't even hug your mother until she had you because I thought I'd crush you." He heard her laugh and kept talking. "And that first year, forget it. I was convinced kissing you after I ate would give you some kind of rash so I brushed my teeth, like, twelve times a day, and I wouldn't feed you carrots because I thought you'd turn orange." He looked into his daughter's eyes and said, "Parents are generally bumbling idiots until the third kid."

Maureen laughed and nodded, sniffling. "I'm really glad I've got you and Liv to help me through all of this," she said. "I'd be a total mess without you."

"Me," Elliot said, "You could probably do without. But I agree with you on the other thing. I'd be a wreck without Liv, too," he said to his daughter.

Olivia watched from the shadows long enough, her heart stopping when Elliot referred to her as Maureen's "parent." She thought that she could interrupt now that they were talking about her, and she wouldn't be disrupting a father-daughter moment. "El," she whispered, waving him over to her, "Come here."

Elliot kissed Maureen on the forehead. "Honey, I'm going to be right over there with Liv, okay?"

Maureen nodded with a smile and wiped her eyes. "Okay," she said.

Elliot got off of the bed and walked over to Olivia. "What?" he asked, still shaking. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing," Olivia said, pressing her hands to his chest to calm him down. "The doctor told me it was just some round ligament stretching. But he said she did the right thing by coming here, because it could have been anything. It could have been serious, but it's not. She's fine and the baby's fine." She saw the relief in his face and his eyes as his whole body relaxed. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms and said, "Everything's fine."

Elliot kissed her and held her tight. "Baby, you don't know how thankful I am that you're with me right now," he whispered. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too, El," Olivia said back to him. "Oh," she said, suddenly pulling back. She reached into her pocket and looked up at him with a bright smile. "It's a boy," she whispered with a big, bright grin as she held up a sonogram picture.

Elliot took the black-and-white square out of her hands and a tear rolled down his cheek. "That's…God, that's my grandson," he said, his finger grazing over the tiny, blurry blob. "He's…he's so…he's so beautiful," he choked, covering his mouth with his hand as hot, uncontrollable tears poured from his eyes. Seeing the fully formed body, face and arms, legs and nose of his daughter's son had made the reality of it all so full and clear. He turned, saying nothing, and he wrapped his arms around Olivia. He squeezed and cried on her shoulder.

Olivia held him, letting him cry, crying softly herself as her heart broke for him. It seemed he forgot that Maureen was in the room, and he broke a promise he made to himself. "El, honey, stop crying," Olivia whispered to him, seeing Maureen's pained expression.

"I don't understand. Why, baby?" Elliot said, so softly she could barely hear him. "Why is this happening to her?" he asked, only slightly louder as he cried softly into the crook of her neck.

Olivia pushed his head up. "I don't know," she said, "But you really need to pull yourself together."

Elliot sniffled. "You've never…" he paused, and then it hit him. Maureen had just seen him cry.

**A/N: What does Cragen decide? What happens when Elliot's mixed emotions get the best of him in an interrogation? And when his misplaced anger lands on someone he loves, will his apology be enough? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: What does Cragen decide? What happens when Elliot's mixed emotions get the best of him in an interrogation? And when his misplaced anger lands on someone he loves, will his apology be enough?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story belong to the mind, heart, and soul of TStabler©**

"I was wondering when you'd actually break down," Maureen sniffled.

"Mo," Elliot said, wiping his eyes.

Maureen shook her head. "No, Daddy, it's okay to be upset. This isn't supposed to happen," she said. "Not like this. Not now."

He walked back over to the bed and pulled his daughter into his arms, this time crying with her.

Olivia took a breath, then backed out of the room slowly, giving them the time and space they needed.

* * *

"Is she okay?" Cragen asked, his head snapping toward Elliot and Olivia as they walked back into the squadroom.

Olivia nodded and Elliot said, "Yeah, she's fine."

"Good," Cragen said. "Fin and Munch found him."

"Who?" Olivia asked, dropping her jacket on her chair.

"McDonough," Munch said. "He's in the...Elliot!" Before he had even finished his sentence, Elliot was on his way into the interrogation room.

Olivia shot Cragen a look, then went after him, catching him as he slammed the door open and grabbed McDonough's collar. She watched as he lifted him out of the seat and slammed him into the wall of the box-like room. "Elliot!" she yelled.

"You son of a bitch," Elliot seethed, "You think you're so slick. Where'd you take the girl?"

McDonough smirked at him. "Nice to see you again, Detective Stabler." He let his eyes move to Olivia and he smirked. "Detective Benson," he said. "You just keep getting hotter," he chuckled, licking his lips.

Elliot jerked him forward and hit him against the wall again, and asked another question. "What did you do to the girl," he growled.

"El, man, put him down," Fin said, trying to reason with him.

"Back off, Fin," Elliot shouted. "I got this, man," he said, his eyes never leaving the perp's. "You killed Nick McCann," he said with a clenched jaw, twisting his collar tighter. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Little bastard wouldn't give me my truck," McDonough said, struggling to breathe.

Elliot smirked. "I really should thank you for that," he said.

"Elliot!" Olivia warned in a yell, "Knock it off! Let Fin handle this!"

Elliot chuckled, ignoring her. "What did you to him?" he asked, letting go of the man's throat a bit, a gleam in his eyes.

McDonough was confused, furrowing his brow. "Knife," he shrugged. "Little wimp didn't put up much of a fight. Begged for his life actually. Told me he was gonna be a daddy. Crock of shit, I thought. He was just a kid, I knew he was lying. Unless he really did knock up some hot, little piece of..."

Elliot squeezed his throat again. "My daughter," he hissed.

"El, please, stop," Olivia called to him, hoping to get through. "You don't need to do this right now, come on. Drop him!"

McDonough's eyes widened as he clutched at Elliot's hand, trying to claw it away to no avail. "Get...off..." he breathed.

Olivia, tired of watching Fin do nothing, and not willing to let Elliot throw his career away over this hump, took two steps forward and pulled on his arm. "Elliot, let him go."

Elliot swung his arm backward. "Fuck, Fin, I told you to..." he stopped as he realized that it wasn't Fin he hit. "Oh, my God," he gasped, dropping McDonough to the floor. He ran over to Olivia as Fin restrained the perp. "Liv," he said, horrified.

Olivia, on the floor, shaking her head, swatted his hand away from her face. "Ass," she muttered.

"Liv, are you okay?" Elliot asked, his eyes pleading with hers as he tried to help her up.

She rose to her feet as she refused his help. "Just...stay away from me," she said, holding up one hand as the other pressed against her ribs. "Cool off, El. Don't talk to me until you calm down," she shook her head and walked out of the interrogation room, thankful that Cragen wasn't watching from the pit. She seethed in pain as she moved through the squadroom, trying to climb the stairs to the cribs. She ignored the concerned look from her captain and Munch as she made her way up, and when she opened the door and sat on the bunk closest to it, she heard a sharp crack. She knew something was broken.

She took a deep, painful breath, and she shook her head. She knew he didn't mean it, she knew he wasn't directing his anger at her, and he would never hurt her, but he had to deal with his emotions or this would happen again, and she didn't want to be an accidental target a second time.

"Liv!" his voice rang out as the door flew open.

She looked at him, into his pained blue eyes, and she shook her head.

"Baby," he cried, falling to his knees in front of the bed, "I am so...so sorry. I didn't realize...I was so angry, and upset, and..."

"I know," she whispered, a hand running over his head, through his hair. "You have to calm down. Seeing him...you snapped, El. I told you you would."

Elliot nodded, his head dropping into her lap. "I promised I would never hurt you," he whispered. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"I'll live," she shrugged. "Are _you_ okay?" she asked, squeezing his shoulder. "You let Maureen see you cry, something you swore you'd never do. That got to you, and you were already worked up when we got here. Are you all right now?"

Elliot looked up at her. He was silent and expressionless, then he slowly shook his head. "I'm not all right, Liv," he whispered. He looked into her eyes. "You're the only thing keeping me together, and I cracked tonight, and I hurt you. It was a complete accident, but I did. I'm losing it, baby, and I don't know if I can do this," he said, a light sob escaping.

Olivia sucked in a breath. She didn't want to see him cry anymore. She winced as she moved, but she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him up to the bed. He went willingly, slow tears sliding down his cheeks. "El, look at me," she whispered, cupping his face. "You are going through one of the most difficult things any parent has to face. You've got me, and your kids, and we are gonna make it. Stop blaming yourself, because I know that's where this is all coming from, and enjoy this. She is healthy, and she's sacred but she's happy, and we are going to have a beautiful little boy in a few months."

She slipped her hand into his and squeezed and said, "You asked me to marry you, I said yes. We're taking a lot of pretty big steps here, baby, and we're taking them together. If you can get me to make a lifetime commitment, then I'm pretty damn sure you can handle anything God throws at you."

Elliot laughed and dropped his forehead to hers, kissing the end of her nose. "I love you," he said. "So much. I'm so sorry, baby. For everything."

"This isn't the first time you accidentally hit me because you're a fucking hot-head," she told him with an eye roll. "It's just the first time you cracked a rib," she said, pointing at him.

He grimaced and wrapped his arms around her carefully. "God, baby," he said, apologetically.

"Like I said," Olivia said, holding him, "I'll live."

Elliot looked at her, deep into her eyes, and he shook his head. "I don't deserve you. I don't deserve a friend like you, a partner like you, or a fiancée like you."

"You're right," Olivia said, nodding as she kissed him. "You deserve more than I could possibly give you, but I'm trying."

Elliot kissed her again, shaking his head. "You are so much more. Forgive me," he whispered.

"Already did," she whispered back, holding her lips to his, her hands wrapping around his neck.

The door flew open, breaking them apart, and Cragen stood before them, looking irritated. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, "But we need to talk."

Elliot sighed and looked at his captain. "Okay," he said, nodding. "If this is about what happened in..."

"You physically assaulted a perp," Cragen said. "It's Wednesday, the sky is blue, Munch thinks we're all aliens, stop me when you hear something shocking."

Elliot scoffed. "So if I'm not getting written up for what happened, then what is this about?"

Cragen closed the door and sat on the bed across from them. "I don't wanna push you two right now," he said. "You don't need added pressure. So, at least until Maureen has the baby, I can look passed this," he said, waving a hand over them. "As long as you keep a lid on it. Munch doesn't know, Fin doesn't know, no one finds out, got it?"

Olivia bit her lip and nodded. She looked at Elliot, who gave the captain a single nod and said, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me," Cragen said. "Once that baby's born, and things settle down, one of you is out of here. I can't have..."

"I know," Elliot interjected. "Believe me, by then we should be prepared for anything. Ready for anything."

He didn't know it then, but they needed to be ready for anything a lot faster, a lot sooner, than he imagined.

**A/N: Why? What happens? Will Elliot calm down? Will they finally have a moment of clarity and happiness? Olivia gets emotional when she puts the finishing touches on the nursery, and Elliot has an actual heart-to-heart with Kathy. Kathleen helps her sister name the baby, and the twins give Olivia and Elliot a surprise. All next. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212 **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Olivia gets emotional when she puts the finishing touches on the nursery, and Elliot has an actual heart-to-heart with Kathy. Kathleen helps her sister name the baby, and the kids give Olivia and Elliot a surprise.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story belong to the mind, heart, and soul of TStabler©**

Olivia, alone in the room, pulled the stuffed animals out of the large box in the middle of the floor. With an armful, she wandered around the nursery, placing the bunnies and bears on high shelves. She sniffled, unaware that she was crying, when she let a large, white, stuffed monkey drop into the crib.

"Baby?" she heard Elliot's voice from behind her call.

She just nodded, bringing a hand to her mouth, muffling the sob that escaped.

"Liv," Elliot said, soft but surprised, walking into the nursery. He wrapped his arms around her and asked, "What's the matter?"

Olivia shook her head, turning away from him. She immediately stopped crying, feeling guilty for being so selfish. "Nothing," she said, clearing her throat.

"Don't lie to me," Elliot said firmly. "I've got a lot going on, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna be here when you need me, I am. Talk to me."

Olivia shook her head again. "It's so silly," she said, picking up the monkey and staring into its beady, black eyes.

"If it's making you cry, baby, it's not silly," Elliot affirmed, pulling her close to him, wrapping her and the monkey in a tight embrace. "What's bothering you? What's making my beautiful, strong, woman cry?"

"This," she whispered, wiggling the monkey.

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna take care of that right now," he said, taking the monkey away from her. "Listen, pal," he said, looking at the monkey, "No one messes with my girl." He threw it roughly back into the box behind him and chuckled, "Now the evil monkey can't hurt you anymore." he smiled at her and winked.

Olivia laughed, knowing that was his goal, and sniffled again. "Not the monkey," she sighed. "The nursery. El, it's…"

"I know it is," Elliot said, looking around. "It really is perfect, isn't it?" he asked her, his own voice betraying his feelings and cracking slightly. "Well," he said, looking back at Olivia, "It's here, now. It'll still be here when we need it," he offered, words he hoped were comforting.

Olivia nodded. "I know it will be," she said with a light shrug. "I just…if I could do this so she wouldn't have to, I would. I hate seeing you hurt, and cry, and I hate that she's so scared. And I hate that I'm so fucking selfish, El, I hate that I want this…that we're…"

"Hey, hey, hey," Elliot rushed, silencing her. He ran his arms down her body and rested his head on top of hers. "You're allowed to be a little selfish. You give and give, and you have every right to want something for yourself in return. To want it, and we both want it, doesn't make you selfish. It makes you human, and ready. But we agreed that now isn't…"

"It isn't," Olivia said, swallowing. She turned to look at up him. "I know it isn't," she repeated. "It won't be the right time for a long time, I just…this all got to me. I'm finally with the right guy, stable and happy, in a good place and I can't…"

"Soon," Elliot promised, interrupting her. "I can't wait, either, honey. You have to believe that as soon as we're ready, we are trying like hell."

Olivia scoffed. "You don't have to try that hard," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't have to," Elliot agreed with a smirk. "But, God, is trying gonna be fucking fun or what?" he laughed, lifting her slightly off the ground.

Olivia smiled as she looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but love there. "I love you," she said, the last of her tears falling.

Elliot swiped them away and kissed her. "I love you, too, baby," he whispered against her lips. "It looks perfect in here," he said as he nuzzled her.

Olivia nodded, her thick wall going back up. She wouldn't let this get to her again. She had to be strong for him, she needed to fight the pain and the anguish for his sake, be his rock. She kissed him again, knowing that her time would come, and Elliot would be right there, sharing it all with her.

* * *

"What about Fred?" Dickie suggested, solving a math problem in his head then scribbling it down with his pencil.

Maureen gave her brother a look. "I wouldn't even name a dog 'Fred,' Dickweed," she said, rubbing her belly.

"Connor?" Lizzie suggested, writing an essay, the pen dancing across the paper quickly and easily.

Maureen thought, then said, "That's a little too Irish. I mean, Connor Elliot Stabler?"

"You don't have to give him Dad's name," Kathleen said with a shrug. "I mean, if you really like Connor, that is."

"He's taking Dad's name," Maureen said, firmly and directly. "I like Faulkner."

"The writer?" Lizzie asked, her pen dropping. "You refuse Connor, yet you want to name him after a sex-crazed, literary essayist?"

Maureen shrugged. "Whatever," she said.

Kathleen shook her head. "Please, do not name my nephew 'Faulkner Elliot Stabler,' for so many reasons."

"That does sound really bad," Maureen agreed.

It was quiet for a moment. Kathleen looked up and smirked at her sister. "Hey, Mo," she said, tilting her head. "What about Oliver?"

* * *

"Here," Kathy said, dropping the box in front of Elliot and Olivia.

"Hey," Olivia hissed. "That's evidence, Kathy. You might not enjoy dealing with us, but don't compromise our case."

Kathy sighed, glaring at Olivia. "Yes, your highness," she spat.

"Kathy!" Elliot barked, stopping Olivia from lunging over the counter. He lifted the box, containing fifteen white bags, labeled and sealed, and handed it to Olivia. "Car," he said, "Now. I'm not letting you hit her. Go."

Olivia grabbed the box and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, walking away.

"Eager to get me alone?" Kathy asked, leaning over on her elbows.

"Yeah, actually," Elliot said, running his hand through his hair. "Liv wants kids," he said, looking at his ex-wife.

"That's good, because you've already got four, and one of them…oh," Kathy said, realizing. "Well, uh," she said, her face paling. "What do you, uh, what do you want?"

Elliot bit his lip and nodded. "I'm with her," he said. "I want…I didn't think I did, but…I do. Not now, but…I want them. With her."

"Elliot," Kathy said, sighing, "Why are you talking to me about this?"

Elliot looked his ex-wife in the eyes. "Because we have kids. You and me. And I hate that I have to say this, but I need you to be a part of their lives, no matter how much you may resent them."

"I do not resent them," Kathy argued.

Elliot shook his head, ignoring her. "They are your kids, and I can't just expect them to rely solely on Liv. She's been great, she's been beyond great, but I don't want the children I already have to feel like they're being neglected by their own mother, and then feel like Liv's abandoning them when we have kids of our own."

Kathy inhaled sharply, taking in his words. "I don't want that…you really think Olivia would…"

"No," Elliot interrupted. "But you would. I know you, and you would say anything to them if it would make them hate her, even just a little bit. You're weekend with them is coming up, and I am asking you, please, Kathy, do not lie to my children about their stepmother. Do not, for one moment, think you can get them on your side and convince them that she is evil. Don't even try."

Kathy bit her lip. "What did you expect, Elliot?" she asked, her voice dropping. "I know I'm the one who decided to leave. I know I have my own issues coming to terms with what's going on in our daughter's life, and I am thankful you found someone to get you through it. It's just…part of me hates that it's her."

Eliot was slightly stunned. "Well, you certainly don't…"

"I'm not saying I want to be the one," Kathy said, cutting him off. "I'm not saying I want to hold you while you cry, and take Maureen to doctor's appointments, and I don't want to be the woman in your bed every night, not anymore. I just don't want her doing any of it. I want…I want it to be someone else."

Elliot scoffed. "It's nice to want things," he said. "She's with me, whether you like it or not, for the rest of my life, that's why I need you to tell me, promise me, that you can put your differences aside and be a mother. Get along with her."

Kathy ignored his statement and tilted her head. "You're really thinking about having children with her? Binding you to her for the rest of your life? Look how well that worked for us, Elliot."

"Kathy, knock it off," Elliot snapped. "Either you work with me on this, or you can kiss your weekend-a-month goodbye. You'll never see them again," he threatened. "Look, I'm asking, not as your bitter asshole of an ex-husband, not as a friend, but as the very concerned father to your four children." He took a breath and looked her directly in the eyes, something he hadn't done in a while. "Open your eyes, look at her. Think about everything she had done, everything she has been, and you'll see that it's absolutely impossible to hate her, and you were wrong."

Kathy took a moment, looking toward the door, and she shook her head. "It's not hate, Elliot, it's jealousy. Everything I've ever wanted, she has. Your love, the real love you would never feel for me. The kids adore her, and we both know there was never a real bond with me and them. She's strong, brave, beautiful…everything you wanted, everything I couldn't give you."

Elliot smiled sadly. "You were always enough," he said. "You just never thought so. Liv made me realize that I needed someone else, someone who could give a little, be an equal, a partner, instead of just take the way you did all the time." He nodded once and then said, "And all those years you spent, jealous of her, accusing us of having an affair, wishing you could be more like her…the only thing she wanted, Kathy, was to be like you."

Kathy let a tear fall, then, and looked back at Elliot. "At least one of us gets what she wants," she said with bitterness. "I will be nicer to her, for the sake of our children, and because she's, unfortunately, a larger part of my life now."

Elliot smiled and patted her hand, resting on the counter. "Thank you," he said, pure and genuine gratitude in his voice.

"I'm not doing it for you," Kathy said, sniffling.

"I know," Elliot said with a nod. "That's why I'm thanking you," he told her. He turned and walked away.

Kathy mentally willed him to look over his shoulder, turn around just for a moment, because if he looked back, it meant that a part of him didn't want to leave her behind. She lost that hope when she watched the doors slide closed behind him, and she sighed.

She ran a hand down her face, stopping her tears and going back to work, finally admitting to herself that Elliot was an amazing man, she was an idiot, and Olivia didn't deserve the hate or blame. She knew that the only one at fault here was herself, and she was going to make it up to them.

* * *

Olivia and Elliot walked into the house after midnight, surprised to see all of the children up and sitting around the kitchen table.

"Guys," Elliot said in a questioning tone, locking the door behind him, "What's going on?"

Kathleen, smirking, rose from her seat and gave Dickie a shove. "Maureen picked a name," she said, watching her little brother walk toward her father and the woman she was growing to love as a mother.

Dickie cleared his throat. "We, uh, stopped by this place…we all went together, so you don't have to get mad at anyone for leaving the house," he babbled.

Lizzie smiled and said, "They make these vinyl things, pictures and designs, that you can rub on the walls. We got one for the nursery. And we thought that you and Liv would wanna put it up tonight."

Elliot looked at his son, who handed him a roll of white vinyl. "Okay," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Kathleen folded her arms and said, "It's all peel and stick. The animals come off separately, so you can put them anywhere, but the name is all one piece."

Maureen's eyes widened as Elliot unrolled the sheet.

"Aw, how cute!" Eliot said with a laugh. he held it out so Olivia could see, and said, "Baby, look, there's bunnies and monkeys, and…" he stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly as he read the carefully cut out name. "Liv," he whispered.

Olivia, her eyes filling with tears, looked up at Maureen. "Honey, you don't have to…"

"I want him to have your name," Maureen interrupted. "Both of you. So he will always know that he wouldn't be here, he wouldn't be who he is going to be, without his…grandparents."

Elliot wondered for a moment, why had she hesitated before calling them his grandparents? He shook it off and looked down at the design again. "Oliver Elliot Stabler," he said.

"You…are you guys okay?" Maureen asked, looking at them as they unconsciously held each other close and let silent tears drip down their cheeks.

Elliot nodded, turning to kiss the top of Olivia's head. "It's the most perfect name in the world," he whispered. And it was. In fact, he had it picked out, for his own son. He had told Olivia. She loved it. They couldn't wait to start working for Baby Oliver.

This was not going to be easy. Not at all.

**A/N: Why did Maureen pause in the middle of her speech? How does Kathy make things up to Olivia and Elliot? And when the kids go to their mother's for the weekend, time alone brings out a different side of Olivia. And a softer side of Elliot. How? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: How does Kathy treat Olivia and Elliot? And when the kids go to their mother's for the weekend, time alone brings out a different side of Olivia. And a softer side of Elliot. **

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story belongs to the mind, heart, and soul of TStabler©**

"She's naming her son after you," Kathy asked, a hurt but unsurprised look in her eyes, as she waited in the living room for the kids.

"Seems like it," Olivia said with a small nod, her arms folded.

Elliot wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's really sweet of her," he said, kissing Olivia's temple. "It's her way of thanking you, baby," he whispered.

Kathy swallowed hard and shook her head. "Well, I think it means she...loves you. Oliver. It's, uh, it's a nice name."

"Yeah," Olivia said softly. "It is."

Elliot closed his eyes and kissed her again, still trying to get over the shock, and trying to somehow take away her pain. He looked back at Kathy and said, "Kathleen has a soccer game tonight, and Dickie has a dentist appointment on Sunday. The brown bag there is Maureen's food, she's on a special diet, and if she tries to tell you she can have soda or..."

"I've had four kids," Kathy reminded him, smirking. "Coincidentally, the ones of yours I'm here to pick up are mine, too, Elliot. I know what Maureen can and can't have, and I do know their schedules."

Elliot gave her a small smile. "Sorry," he said, "I'm just so used to Liv handling..."

"Right," Kathy said, interrupting.

"I'm gonna go up and see what's taking them so long," Olivia said, pulling out of Elliot's loose embrace and walking up the stairs.

Kathy and Elliot stayed silent, watching her go for a moment, then Kathy spoke. "Is she all right?" she asked, noticing the difference in her behavior.

Elliot turned to her. "She's, um, she's having a hard time dealing with things. So am I."

"I thought Superwoman was being amazingly strong for you throughout all of this," Kathy said with a smirk. Olivia wasn't perfect, she had a weakness, this was making her very happy for some reason, despite the fact that she'd promised not to hate her.

"She has been," Elliot said, running a hand down his face. "This week was rough. We finished the nursery, which we kind of...we accidentally decorated it more for us than for Mo. And then...Maureen chose the same name we did, and..."

"Wait," Kathy interjected, "Is Olivia pregnant?"

Elliot's eyes widened. "No," he said. "No, we were just talking, dreaming," he said, letting a soft smile land on his lips. "We thought about having kids, and we picked out names, and for a boy...'Oliver Elliot' was...perfect." He folded his arms and cleared his throat. "When Maureen told us she...well, it hurt," he said with a shrug.

Olivia stepped back down form the second floor and walked up next to Elliot. She lowered her voice so Kathy couldn't hear. "They don't wanna go," she whispered to him.

"What?" Elliot asked, turning to her, furrowing his brow. "They have to, it's..."

"Relax. I talked to them," Olivia said with a smile, flattening a palm across his chest, calming him. "They'll be down in a few minutes."

"What did you say?" Elliot asked, giving her a small grin.

Olivia shrugged. "I told them to give their mother a chance, because she _is_ their mother, and she loves them," she said. "I told them it was a court order, they had to spend every other weekend with her now. And I may have promised to take them shopping next weekend."

"You bribed my kids?" Elliot asked, feigning annoyance. Then he chuckled and kissed her as he said, "You, my dear, really are a Stabler."

Kathy flinched, watching him be so sweet to her, hearing him say that, but she promised him, and herself, that she would not come between them anymore. She let him go long ago, and this was the price she had to pay for it. "Well, uh, when they get down here, we'll be…out of your hair," she said.

Olivia turned. "I wish you wouldn't put it like that," she said. "The kids are wonderful. We love having them around. It's gonna be kinda quiet with them gone."

"No, it won't," Elliot said, his voice low and his eyes narrow, a smirk on his face.

Olivia chuckled and rolled her eyes as she slapped him in the chest. "It will be," she said, nodding once at Kathy.

Kathy sighed. "I didn't mean…I just said…" she stopped. She smiled at the two of them. "You really are happy together aren't you?" she asked.

"Very," Elliot answered. He heard footsteps pounding down the stairs and he turned to smile and say goodbye to his kids. "You guys be good for your mother," he said, kissing them all on the head.

"She's not my mother," Maureen said under her breath, holding onto Olivia tightly. "She doesn't even care that I'm…in this mess."

Olivia kissed Maureen's head and looked down into her eyes. "If you need me, at all, for anything, you call me. Okay? I will be there in a heartbeat."

Maureen nodded, kissed Olivia's cheek, and followed her mother and siblings out the door.

Elliot watched the door close and turned to Olivia. "Alone at last," he said. "Kathy can deal with reality for a little while."

Olivia let a breath out through her nose, smiling, a small laugh. "Took her long enough," she said.

Elliot walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. "She's never been good at handling real life. She's had it easy, ya know? Rich parents, a thrilling social life, she's always felt like she married down. She was…"

"Stupid," Olivia said, cutting him off.

"I won't argue," Elliot said with a chuckle as he kissed her. "We have the weekend to ourselves. And I want to take advantage of it."

Olivia tilted her head and asked, "What'd you have in mind?" She let her arms fall around him and snuggled into him, giving herself the right to be comforted by him.

"Were gonna go out tonight," he said. "I already made reservations, and I have a surprise for you."

"I hate surprises," Olivia said, rolling her eyes.

Elliot grinned and kissed her lips. "You're gonna like this one. I promise." He ran his lips over hers lightly and whispered, "Bedroom. Closet. Black garment bag. Don't ask questions, just put it on."

Olivia furrowed her brow and pulled away from him. "But, El, it's only five…"

"I said not to ask questions," Elliot said, pressing a finger to her lips.

Olivia's eyes slid closed, and she pursed her lips, kissing his finger. She opened her eyes to find his, dark and surprised, staring back at her. She gently pulled his hand away from her face and walked passed him, into their bedroom.

He followed her, still amazed at the tenderness of that small act of kissing his finger. He saw her pull the bag out of the closet and lay it on the bed, and he watched her slide down the zipper, and then he watched her eyes widen. "Do you like it?" he asked, walking toward the closet to get his freshly pressed suit.

"It's beautiful," Olivia whispered, pulling the blue dress out of the bag.

"Put it on," Elliot said, starting to get dressed himself, "And stop looking at me like that, I'm not crazy."

Olivia lowered her eyebrow and stopped smirking. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, lowering her jeans.

"Nowhere if you don't get dressed faster," Elliot teased, growling as he tied his tie. "I told you it's a surprise."

"Hint?" Olivia queried, pulling her shirt off.

Elliot chuckled and shook his head, then walked over to her, taking the blue fabric in his hands. "Come here," he said, pulling the dress over her head. He tugged it down, smoothed it out, and zipped it up. "Wow," he said softly. "You look amazing, baby," he said, running his hands through her hair.

"Get out," she said, nudging him toward the door.

"What?" he yelped, surprised.

"I have to do something in here and I don't want you in here when I'm doing it, so…out," she said, shoving him. She handed him his jacket and said, "Gimme five minutes."

Elliot was pacing in the loving room for the full five minutes, worrying about being late, but when Olivia came out of the bedroom, he lost all sense of time completely. "My God," he said softly. "You look…"

Olivia smiled, stepping out to him slowly, her wavy hair flowing as she moved, her heeled feet clicking against the wooden floors. "Pick your jaw up before you step on it," she teased, taking his hand. "You clean up nicely, Stabler."

He winked at her, giving her hand a squeeze, and led her out of the house, into the early evening of New York City. He tugged her out to a waiting black car, and saw the look on her face as he opened the back door. "After you," he said, watching her slide in.

"A limo?" Olivia asked, watching Elliot get in beside her and close the door. "Elliot, what's going on? Can you really afford…"

"I wanted tonight to be special," he said to her. "No worries, just us, and the way I'm feeling, I don't think I'm in any condition to drive, and you can't drive in heels, so…"

Olivia stopped him with a kiss. "What's so special about tonight?" she asked in a whisper.

"You'll find out when we get to where we're going," Elliot returned. He kissed her, holding her close, as the driver headed toward their destination.

* * *

By the time they finished sharing their rich, chocolate cake, the candles in the middle of the table had burned down to tiny buds and their third bottle of wine was almost gone. They were giggling and kissing, Olivia was practically on his lap, and he could not stop touching her. Little things like brushing her hair back, sliding his hands down her back, and nuzzling her with his nose.

"I love you," he whispered.

Olivia giggled as she felt him slide one hand under her dress, caressing her thigh. "I love you, too," she told him. "You haven't told me what the special occasion was, yet."

Elliot shook his head. "I don't need one," he said. "We never get to be alone, we never get to really let go, and I needed tonight more than you could possibly imagine."

"I think I have an idea," Olivia said, sipping her last glass of wine. "Things haven't really been easy for me, either."

"Tonight was about forgetting," Elliot told her. "Just for a while. And…I have to ask you this, because I know…I know we've talked about it, and you said that you…"

"Just ask me, El," Olivia said, her eyes meeting his, realizing that they'd both had an awful lot to drink and would not have any control of their conversation. "Have a cup of coffee first," she said, changing her mind.

Elliot grabbed both of her hands and shook his head. "I know what I'm saying," he said, "And I know what it could cost me, cost us, so just…don't say anything until I'm done."

Olivia blinked. Her heart pounded. What was he doing?

"Liv, baby, I don't know what…what you were thinking when you dropped everything to move in with me and the kids, just because I needed your help, and I don't know how I managed to get you to…to fall in love with me," he said, looking at the table, not at her. He lifted his head, meeting her eyes.

Olivia furrowed her brow and shifted in her seat. "El, I didn't…"

"I'm not done," Elliot said, shaking his head. He squeezed her hands and said, "You're the most amazing person I have ever known, my kids love you, and I don't want to you feel like something is missing anymore."

Olivia shook her head. "I never felt…"

"I'm not finished," Elliot said, rolling his eyes. "Can you please?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Maureen's due in a few weeks, any child we have…well, Oliver will be almost a year old if…shit, why is this so damn hard?"

"What are you trying to say, Elliot?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide.

Elliot turned in his chair, looked deeply into her eyes, and said, "What if it is the right time? What if we've been…we haven't exactly been careful, but we haven't been deliberately trying either. But...what if...shit."

Olivia nodded, understanding him. "It would be hard. I know that. You…"

"We would make it work," he interrupted with a shrug. "We can do anything, together, can't we?" he asked, sniffling. He was on the verge of tears. "Unless…unless this isn't what you want anymore."

She furrowed her brow and shook her head. "What?" she asked.

"You're younger than me," he said. "You're gorgeous, funny, brilliant, and you don't need to be involved in…honey, you're too young to be somebody's grandmother. You deserve to have a real shot at a real life, with no strings attached. I feel like…when I asked you to marry me, I was being selfish. I knew I couldn't do this alone, and I didn't want to even think about doing it with someone else, I didn't even think about what you wanted, and…"

"Exactly how much did you have to drink?" Olivia asked, squinting at him to keep her own tears from falling.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "I told you I'm not…"

"How could you think…this is exactly what I want, El," Olivia said, interrupting again. "You and your kids…since I've known you, all I've ever wanted was…"

"I know," Elliot interjected, "But this is…this is asking too much, isn't it?"

Olivia tilted her head, softened her eyes, and smiled. "Why do you think that?"

"Because, baby, I'm not this lucky," he said, looking at her as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I asked you to marry me because I wanted you to be mine, forever, and now I'm making you wait…we haven't even chosen a date or anything because my daughter is…it's just not fair, Liv."

"El, I'll wait as long as I have to," she told him. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you and the kids, and I already love Oliver more than I think I should. I know it's hard, for both of us, we want to but we can't, we feel like we should, but it's not right…I get it."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, baby," Elliot said, leaning into her. He reached into his pocket, grabbing a long box, and said, "I don't …

"Shh," Olivia hushed. Her lips brushed against his and a slow smile was spreading over her lips, when her cell phone rang. She sighed into their sweet kiss, nuzzling him a bit, and picked her phone up off the table. "Benson," she said into the phone. "What?" she barked, suddenly angry. "No, no, Dickie. Don't do anything, honey. Your father and I will be right there. You tell her…you tell her we will be right there."

"What's the matter?" Elliot asked, his eyes wide now.

"Kathy took Kathleen to her soccer game," Olivia said, trying to get their waiter's attention. "Dickie stayed home with Maureen, and she got up to go to the bathroom, and…she thinks she's having contractions."

"No," Elliot said, shaking his head and standing up. "It's too soon! It's way too…"

"Only by five weeks," Olivia said, watching Elliot frantically throw some hundred dollar bills onto the table.

Elliot bit his lip, pulled Olivia toward the door, and shook his head. "Too soon," he whispered, rushing with her to the car. This night was supposed to be special. He never dreamed it would be like this.

**A/N: Is Maureen going to have the baby? Will he be okay? And Maureen has a question for her father and Olivia, and Olivia gets some unexpected news. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Is Maureen going to have the baby? Will he be okay, if she does? And Maureen has a question for her father and Olivia, and Olivia gets some unexpected news.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. This story belongs to the mind, heart, and soul of TStabler©**

Elliot had sped, avoided traffic lights, and practically hopped out of a still-moving car, having forgotten to put it into park when he pulled up to the house. He ran inside, yelling for Dickie and Maureen, and found them both in the hallway.

"Mo," he gasped, looking down at his daughter.

Maureen shook her head. "I'm okay," she said, breathing heavily. "I think it was just…well, it stopped, so…"

"Oh, thank God," Elliot sighed, relieved. He knelt down and brushed her hair back. "You gotta keep him in there for a few more weeks," he said with a soft smile.

"Liv," Maureen mumbled. "Get Liv," she said.

Elliot, hurt but understanding, stood up and put an arm around his petrified son. He walked with Dickie into the living room and gestured to Olivia that Maureen needed her.

Olivia kissed Dickie on the forehead as she passed him, then got to Maureen and sat beside her. "Hey, honey," she said, draping an arm over the teen's shoulder. "False alarm, huh?"

Maureen nodded, tears still slowly falling. "I'm sorry I ruined your night," she said. She dropped her head to Olivia's shoulder.

"Oh, honey," she said with a chuckle. "You didn't ruin anything. Dinner took a pretty serious turn, and I'm glad you interrupted it. You know your father and I would drop everything for you," she said, kissing the girl's head.

"Can I ask you something?" Maureen asked with a sniffle. "And promise you won't get mad at me for it," she begged.

"I can't be mad at you," Olivia said, looking down at her. "Not for anything," she added.

Maureen looked up, large tears in her eyes, and said, "It's a pretty serious question."

Olivia felt her stomach drop as she listened to the girl's heartbreaking question, and she slowly nodded as she pulled Maureen into her arms.

* * *

"She's asleep," Olivia said, walking out into the living room. "How's Dickie?"

"Traumatized," Elliot chuckled. Then he sighed. "I was scared. Scared shitless."

Olivia sat on the couch beside him, rested her hand on his knee, and nodded. "Me, too," she said. "How could Kathy just leave her here alone?"

"I have no idea," he said. "I bet she didn't want anyone staring at her and Maureen."

Olivia shook her head. She dropped it back onto the couch and said, "She wants us to…"

"I know she does," Elliot sighed. "Dickie, uh, told me all about it." He looked over at Olivia and raised both eyebrows. "What do you think?" he asked.

"It's up to you, really," Olivia returned. "I'm not Catholic. I'm not anything, actually, so…"

"It's okay," he said, kissing her. "I'm not the world's greatest Catholic, either, obviously."

Olivia chuckled. "But you do…you go to church, and you pray, and you have a memorized quote from the Bible for every occasion. You have Jesus etched into your skin, El, you're a true believer. I'm…"

"I'm telling you, it doesn't matter," he interrupted. "She wants you, Liv. All you have to do is show the priest proof that you were baptized, which I know you were."

Olivia kissed him and nodded. "If you say so," she said. "You know I want to be…"

"I know you do," he interrupted. He kissed her and pulled her closer, moaning slightly as her hand grazed over his growing erection. He chuckled when her hand moved back, this time on purpose, and she smirked against his lips as she dragged her nails lightly up and down, teasing him.

Olivia was so lost in him, and he in her, that as they kissed and the front door creaked open, they were both oblivious.

A clearing of a throat, and a giggle, broke them apart. Elliot peered over Olivia's shoulder and gave a sheepish grin. "Hey, Kathy," he said.

"What are you two doing here?" Kathy asked, sounding annoyed.

Elliot gave Olivia a gentle shove and sat up. "Well, while you were out with Lizzie and Katie, Maureen was here, all alone, and started having contractions."

Kathy's face paled. "Oh…my…God, is she okay?" she asked, panicking. "Where is she?"

"Calm down," Olivia said, holding up a hand. "She's upstairs, sleeping. It was a false alarm." She folded her arms and said, "But I'm wondering why you would leave an eight-month-pregnant teenager home with just her thirteen-year-old brother."

"Katie had a softball game and…"

"You could have taken her," Elliot said, suddenly angry. He stood up and took a step forward. "God forbid this happened when Liv and I were on a case, somewhere we couldn't get here in time! You know what could have happened? Why the hell wasn't she with you?"

Kathy backed up. She hated when Elliot got like this, and one of the reason's she left him was his irrational temper. This time, though, she knew he had a right to be angry. "Elliot, I didn't want her to…"

"You didn't want her to be seen by the other mothers," Elliot snapped, cutting her off. "You didn't want her to embarrass you, to get looked at by everyone else with the same look people gave you! Is that it?"

Kathy flinched as he yelled. "Elliot, please, not in front of the…"

"Go to your room," Elliot said gently, nodding at Lizzie and Kathleen. "Oh, who won, Kat?"

"We did. I scored three runs," Kathleen said proudly as she ran up the stairs. Lizzie followed her, but neither girl went into her room, they stayed at the top, listening.

"Damn it, Kathy!" Elliot barked. "You don't think of anyone but yourself, do you? You leave the boy you never wanted and the one child you have that's made a damned mistake home, so you could…why?

Olivia stood up, walked next to Elliot, and put her hand on his shoulder. He visibly relaxed and took a breath, calming down.

Kathy was stunned. She was never able to calm him down, not like that, and when she tried he only grew angrier. "I didn't want her to be out in the cold, or…"

"She has a new coat," Elliot said, softly. Tears were threatening the backs of his eyes. "She would have been warm. Would have been fine if…God, why don't you want her?" he asked, quietly, sitting back down on the couch. He dropped his head into his hands and clutched Olivia's hand tightly.

Kathy felt horrible. Everything he had said was true, and she knew it. She tried to find logical reasons to leave Maureen home, all of which masked the disgrace and shame she felt because of her. "I want her," she whispered. "I just don't want her to be…she's me, Elliot. She is exactly what I was, and I can't go through all of that again. She's making my mistake, and she's not sorry about it."

"Not sorry?" Olivia asked, her own emotions getting the best of her. "She apologizes every morning, every night she's crying in my arms because she thinks she ruined my life! She's sorry, Kathy. She's hurt and she's sorry, but ya know what? This baby is gonna be the best thing that has ever happened to her, and she's gonna be an incredible mother, no thanks to you!"

Elliot looked at her, sniffling, and said, "I don't know if you're talking about Maureen or yourself."

"Maureen," Olivia snapped at him, though part of her was saying all of that to her own mother, part of her was holding that in for years, and part of her so desperately wanted to be able to say the same thing about her own child.

Elliot looked at her with pure love in his eyes, wet with tears, and he smiled. "Okay," he said, knowing the truth behind her words. He looked back at Kathy and said, "You were in her shoes, Kathy. You, above anyone, should understand, and should be there to help her through this. You turned your back on your own daughter when she needed you the most."

Kathy sniffled as her own tears formed, and she nodded. "I know I did. I'm sorry, I just...I can't deal with this."

"No one can," Elliot sighed, "But it's the life God has given us, and he wouldn't give it to us if he didn't think we were strong enough to..."

Kathy interrupted him. "He gave it to you," she said. "You and Olivia. I was out of your life when this happened," she said as she rubbed her eyes. "So obviously he knew I couldn't handle this, and the both of you could."

Elliot tilted his head. Was she accepting them now? Was she realizing what he had known for months? "Yeah," he said with a small nod. "Right."

"You two can...I know you had to end your evening early," Kathy shrugged, "And you have a whole weekend ahead of you that I'm sure you don't want to send here with me and four kids." She finally took off her coat and said, "I will make sure she eats those whole wheat pancakes, and she will be with me wherever I go for the rest of the weekend."

Elliot nodded. He got off of the couch, walked over to the stairs and said, "Goodnight, girls," as he blew his two snooping daughters kisses.

"Goodnight, Daddy," they replied in simultaneous embarrassment. They ran into their room, then, and slammed the doors.

Elliot chuckled and opened the door, leading Olivia out, and home, and he had plans to make her forget all about the speed-bump they had hit. He had a lot of plans, and a box in pocket that was just waiting to be opened.

**A/N: What's in the box? What does he tell her? And Olivia's reaction to it all! Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: What's in the box? What does he tell her? And Olivia's reaction to it all!**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU is owned by Dick Wolf. This story is owned by TStabler©**

"Well, I'm completely sober now," Elliot said, walking into the house. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a can of beer, took a long swig, and said, "My daughter thinks she's gonna die, wants us to raise her son if she does, which just..." He stopped and took another long sip and said, "My ex-wife hates our kids, regrets ever having them, and doesn't care that she's gonna be a grandmother. To top it all off, I'm gonna be my grandson's godfather." He took another long swig, finishing the can. "I've definitely had better days."

Olivia rubbed his shoulders, easing the tension out of his neck and back. "We've both had better days," she said, kissing his back through his shirt. "But we've always survived."

He sighed and turned around, looking at her. "Liv, honey, thank you, so much, for being here. I can't…I know this is hard on you."

"It'd be harder on me if I had to watch you struggle through this with Kathy," she said with a smirk.

"I'm serious," he said, taking her hands in his. "You're strength is the only thing keeping me strong. Your love is the only thing keeping me from breaking down. I think…I think we should go back to your place, get the rest of your stuff, and I think we should…"

She interrupted him. "El, what are you…"

"Just…gimme a minute. I was trying to do this at the restaurant, but…our evening took a turn for the worse," he said, cutting her off. He took a breath, reached into his pocket, and finally pulled out the box he had hidden. It was long, and blue, and wrapped in a silver bow. "Open it," he said.

She looked up into his eyes, blinked, and took the box. She slowly untied the bow, letting the ribbon drop to the floor. She pulled off the top, gasped, and almost fell forward, but Elliot caught her. "God, El, it's gorgeous," she whispered with a shaky voice.

"I couldn't…I mean, I wanted to get you something more special but…shit, I don't even know what I'm saying," he mumbled. "Baby, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. I know it, and you know it, and I don't wanna wait anymore. We've only got a few weeks, then Oliver will be here. He's gonna need someone his own age around to keep him company, don't you think?"

She blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Maybe," she whispered.

"I've raised two kids at the same time before," he told her. "I can do it again. We can do this, Liv. Let's have a baby."

She blinked again, more tears fell, and she looked down at the necklace. The gemstone pendant was encrusted with their birthstones. In a row: his, hers, and one for each of the children, including Oliver, and a diamond at the end, signifying the baby not yet conceived. She turned it over and read the inscription. "I will always love you, Mommy. Love, Daddy," she whispered with a sniffle. "El, I don't know…"

"Yes, you do," he said. "You do, because I do. We can do this. We can plan the wedding, we can get married, and we can have as many children as you want. We can have a life, baby. Our lives shouldn't end because of this. They're only just beginning."

"Are you sure?" she asked, slightly shaking.

He took the necklace out of her hands, unclasped it, and slipped it around her neck. As he closed it, he kissed her. "I want this, baby. You don't have to worry about rushing me or pushing me, I'm certain this is what I want. I want it now." He kissed her and held her tight, as if trying to show her how serious he was.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, leaning backward, begging him to walk with her. "Bedroom," she mumbled against his lips.

He hummed and chuckled, moving with her into the room. He knew the chances of her getting pregnant tonight were impossibly slim, but he was gonna try like hell.

* * *

The next morning brought with it chirping birds, a bright sun shining through the opened window, and a cool breeze that made Olivia curl herself up tighter against Elliot.

Elliot smiled and wrapped her tighter in his arms, covering her chilled body with his. "Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she whispered back.

"Breakfast?" he asked, his eyes still closed, as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

She shook her head lightly and said, "Too comfortable." She gave him a squeeze and nuzzled into his chest. Her hand absently ran up and down his arm.

"Hmm, baby, don't do that unless you want me to really wake you up," he teased. He kissed her forehead and wrapped a leg around her, pulling her even closer. "I can't believe we get to wake up like this every morning, for the rest of our lives."

She chuckled. "We get to go back to sleep like this, too," she said. "If someone would shut the hell up and…what are you doing?"

He laughed and said, "Waking you up." He ran one hand down her back, sliding the fingers of his other toward her slit. He moaned when he found her wet already and asked, "What were you dreaming about, young lady?"

"You," came her reply, attached to a moan. "God, I always dream about you."

He slipped a finger into her, pushing and twisting his way in, and he groaned. "You've been the star of my dreams for years, baby," he mumbled as he kissed her. He kissed his way down her neck, moving his fingers faster. He kissed back up to her lips, then dove in, kissing her deeply. "Dreams come true," he whispered into her mouth.

She bucked her hips, begging for him to do something to stop the pressure and give her sweet release, but he was having too much fun teasing her. "El," she said softly, "Please, baby."

He couldn't refuse her. Not after last night. Not after everything they'd gone through. He would deny her nothing, he decided. He pulled his fingers out of her, sucking them clean the way he always did, and he pulled one leg up, opening her to him. He kissed her as he pushed into her, stretching and filling her, and they both moaned in absolute pleasure.

He moved slowly, making every second count, making every motion meaningful. This was his custom. Even when it was fast and frantic and rough and violent, he always made sure there was purpose, emotion, behind it.

She groaned, cried his name, held onto him, and kissed him eagerly. Her body mimicked his, each move and thrust was met by her, and she called his name over and over again.

He, too, was vocal. Her name, prayers to God, and a few less-than-Catholic words came from his throat in guttural, grunting, gasps. "Damn, baby. Always so amazing with you," he murmured.

She nodded as they kissed. Her hands shot to his head, raking her nails through his hair and over his scalp. Desperation set in, the need to claim him and be claimed by him. The desire to give herself to him, and be taken by him. The pressure built as it all happened.

"I love you," he said, grunting as he pulsated inside of her. He felt her walls clenching and releasing. He moved one hand between them and thumbed her clit, slid his fingers over and around his pistoning shaft, and that was her undoing. The sensations sent her reeling and her back arched. "Fuck, baby," he cried, letting her milk him, letting himself go for her, as she did for him.

"Oh, God, Elliot!" Olivia moaned loudly. She was shaking, feeling her blissful orgasm roll through her like an earthquake. Her body quivered with tiny aftershocks as Elliot stayed still inside of her.

He bent his head and kissed her, whispering, "Think we made a baby?"

"Shit," Olivia said, with a chuckle. "I think we made triplets," she joked, sinking into the bed.

He laughed. "I would seriously shoot myself," he chuckled. "One baby at a time, huh? One set of twins was enough."

"Hey, Captain Sperm," she chided, "I can't control…"

"I'm kidding," he said, silencing her with a kiss. "Whatever we have, however many, I will be beyond thrilled."

She looked at him and smiled. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, biting her lip. "I know I asked already, but you're gonna be a father all over again, and a grandfather. What if I do get pregnant and something happens and…"

"Hey, hey," he said soothingly. "Nothing's gonna happen. We're gonna be absolutely fine. Why am I the one suddenly reassuring you?"

She sighed and said, "Because now I'm the one that needs reassurance."

He kissed her and said, "I swear, baby, this is all gonna be perfect." He looked into her eyes and brushed back her damp hair. "You wanna go look at some places? Set a date? Do this?" he asked, hope in his voice and his eyes.

She tilted her head and understood. She was his distraction. She was his escape. He needed to plan their wedding and their life together, and work for a child of his own, to forget about the panic that was setting in as Maureen's due date approached. He need to be with her. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and said, "Yes." She opened her eyes and saw pure love in his, and she smiled.

He smiled and kissed her, whispering, "Everything's gonna be perfect."

She lost herself in his kiss, wondering how anyone could leave him. But she was thankful it happened, it had given him to her, he had totally eclipsed her heart with his, and her life was finally heading down a path she was not afraid to follow.

Their perfect life was interrupted once again, when the phone rang.

**A/N: Who called? For what? Is everything gonna be okay? What happens if it's not? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: A long chapter, and life as they know it, is over. And perhaps just beginning.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters owned and operated by Dick Wolf. TStabler (c) owns this story, though. **

"Why?" Olivia moaned, as Elliot's phone rang again. "It's like people just know when we're having a happy moment, and they go, 'nope, they're not allowed to be happy, let's hand them some shit."

Elliot chuckled. "We have demanding jobs," he said. "And a pretty demanding family," he added, finding his phone and answering it. "Stabler," he said. "What?" he yelled, his brow creasing. "No, no! Stay there! We're on our way."

Olivia sat up straight, panicking. "Maureen?" she asked, her heart pounding.

"No," Elliot said, shaking his head, "Kathy. She fell asleep on the couch, and Kathleen can't wake her up. They called an ambulance already, this is shit that I do not need right now." He got off of the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, getting one leg in before realizing they were Olivia's.

"Calm down," Olivia said, rising to rest her hands on his shoulder. "Breathe, El," she said softly, looking into his eyes, though he was looking at the floor.

He kicked off her pants, then bent to pull on a pair of sweats, his this time, and said, "What else, huh? What else could possibly go wrong?" He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a tee-shirt, putting it on as he said, "I can't plan a wedding and a funeral!"

Olivia flinched. She had known he was only rushing to take his mind off of things, she knew he wasn't ready for any of this. "We don't have to…" she paused, seeing the look in his eyes. She sighed. "Look, we have to go over there now, and you don't want your kids to see you like this."

"Shit, Liv, Maureen's already seen me cry. Might as well let her see me break completely," he spat. He threw on a pair of sneakers and left the room. Olivia finished dressing and followed him out, meeting him in the car, and he drove away from the house he shared with his kids and Olivia, back to the house he used to share with Kathy.

They parked and hurried in through the door, meeting a paramedic and the kids. Maureen was rubbing her belly and making pained faces as she walked over to Olivia and wrapped her arms around her. "She's awake. Dad, can we go home?" she asked.

Elliot ran a hand through his daughter's hair and nodded. "How is she?" he asked the EMT, nodding at Kathy, who looked weak.

"Awake, now," the young medic said. "She took sleeping pills. Strong ones. With a vodka chaser. We got her up, but she's still a little groggy. She will be for a while. Is there anyone who can stay with her tonight?"

Elliot sighed. "Yeah," he said, nodding.

Maureen's eyes widened. "Oh, no, Dad! No way! We are not staying here," she said, her voice pleading.

"She's your mother, Mo, and we…"

"Like hell she is!" Maureen yelled.

Kathleen, tears in her eyes, said, "We can't just leave her here like this, Maur. She's obviously in some kind of trouble."

"No, I'm the one that…ow," Maureen said, clutching her belly. "Oh, God, not again." She wobbled and fell into Olivia.

Olivia's arms were around her in no time, and she was holding the teen up. "El, I think…"

"Stress," Elliot said, closing his eyes. "Triggers labor. Damn it," he hissed. He yelled to the EMT, who was packing his equipment, "Hey, pal! I got another patient for ya." He wrapped one arm around Maureen and with the other he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and waited as he and Olivia got Maureen out to the waiting ambulance.

The EMT strapped her onto a stretcher, making sure she was comfortable, then walked around to the driver's side, getting in.

Olivia tried to calm down the panicking girl as Elliot stayed outside and spoke into the phone. "Honey, just breathe. I'm right here, honey."

"Mom," Maureen groaned, "I can't…I can't do this…"

Olivia blinked away tears, still not used to Maureen, or anyone, calling her "Mom," and she tilted her head. "You can, baby, just squeeze my hand when it hurts, we're gonna get you to the hospital before little Oliver gets too impatient. Everything's gonna be okay, sweetie."

"I don't believe you," Maureen moaned.

Dickie and Lizzie ran out of the house with a large blue and brown bag and a small white suitcase. "Maur!" Dickie yelled. "Everything you need, we got it all," he said, waving the diaper bag.

Maureen looked at her brother. "What?" she asked, grimacing as another painful contraction ripped through her.

Lizzie smiled. "You didn't think we'd let our nephew come into the world without getting him a few birthday presents, did you?" she asked. She put down the suitcase and said, "We can't wait until you bring him home." She kissed Maureen on the cheek and stepped back as Elliot climbed into the ambulance.

"The other kids are gonna stay with Kathy, my brother's gonna swing by later to check on them," he said. He turned around and yelled, "Hey! Buddy! Can we get a move on?"

Olivia looked at the twins and smiled, watching them close the doors to the medical van. The ambulance pulled away with lights flashing and siren blaring, as Maureen fell back onto the stretcher in pain. She turned back to the girl and let her squeeze her hand. "Breathe, honey. Just breathe."

"I'm breathing!" Maureen yelled.

Elliot chuckled, but it was a bitter sounding laugh. "I can't believe this," he said, his head falling back into the wall of the vehicle. "This is…we're not fucking ready for any of this, how the hell could I have thought…"

"Hey!" Olivia hissed over Maureen, who wasn't listening, in too much pain to bother. "Elliot, your daughter is about to become a mother. Like it or not, there's nothing you can do about it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, embrace this for what it is, and help me out here! I can't do this alone, and she can't do this without you. I know we're not ready, but we're gonna have to get ready, now!"

Elliot's head snapped toward her. He raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter, opened his mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off.

"I get it, okay? I know what you were doing, but you couldn't avoid this, you can't escape it, it's happening. We can worry about the wedding and our own stupid fantasies later. She is important now."

Elliot blinked and looked at Maureen, who seemed to be calmer now. His face softened and he let Olivia's words hit him. He grabbed Maureen's other hand and sniffled. "Mo?" he called to her.

Maureen rolled her head toward her father and smiled. "Hi, Daddy," she said. She squeezed his hand and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Seeing her cry made him want to do the same thing, but he knew he couldn't. Not now. He needed to be the strong one for her, for Olivia, too, who had just knocked some sense into him. They all felt the ambulance come to a stop, heard a door slam, and then turned as the back doors flew open.

"Cap?" Olivia said with a furrowed brow. "What are you…"

"Dickie called me. Said you were probably gonna need a ride home from the hospital since you both rode with Maureen," Cragen told them. "You got smart kids, Stabler," he said slapping Elliot on the back as he exited the vehicle.

"I know I do," Elliot returned with a thankful smile. He helped the EMT and doctors get Maureen out and into a wheelchair, the rolled her into the hospital.

Olivia hung behind with her captain for a moment. There was an awkward moment of silence as they looked into each other's eyes. With it came understanding. "Thanks," she said, nodding at him. She turned to head into the hospital.

"Olivia," Cragen said, stopping her.

She turned to look at him and waited, tapping her foot, needing to be inside with Elliot and Maureen.

Cragen took two steps toward her. "I've always thought of you as a…almost like a daughter," he said. "If you need anything, ever, just ask. I'm starting to realize Elliot and I have a lot in common. Neither one of us can say no to you. I can't really say no to him, either."

"I do need something, actually," she said with a small, crooked smile.

"What?" Cragen asked, ready and willing to give it to her.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she twisted the ring around her finger. "I need to stay with him. I need to be with him. I need a miracle," she said, sniffling. She nodded again at the man before her and then turned, running into the hospital.

Cragen sighed, knowing what she was truly asking for, and walked slowly through the sliding doors. He smirked, knowing she was getting what she wanted. He made sure of that.

* * *

The birth was a dream wrapped in a nightmare. Maureen screamed and cried, her age forcing her to do it all without any kind of drug or pain-killer. Elliot and Olivia yelled at each other as they both tried to step in and help, feeling as though they were stepping on each other with every thrown insult. Elliot tossed something at her that he hadn't used in almost seven months. "You're not a parent, Olivia! You don't understand!"

The look on Olivia's face, as soon as the words left his mouth, broke his heart. "El," she said pitifully.

"Liv, baby, I didn't…you are…" he took a step forward, but the doctor had spoken and threatened them. Finally warning them that if they didn't stop fighting they would have to leave.

Neither one wanted to leave, so they stayed quiet, concentrating on Maureen as they each had one of her hands in their own.

Oliver Elliot Stabler was born at Seven-Thirty-Seven in the morning, after a very painful and exhausting eight and half hour struggle. Elliot cut the cord, feeling a great amount of love and guilt, blended with joy and sadness. Life had changed.

Maureen held the red-faced, crying bundle in her arms, and she began crying harder than him. Elliot had tears running down his face, as did Olivia. "He's so beautiful," Maureen said, her tears stopping. She brushed her finger down the baby's cheek and said, "I'm a mother."

Again there was silence. "Yeah, you are, honey," Olivia whispered, her hand smoothing over Maureen's head.

"Please, take him, Daddy," Maureen said with a yawn. "I don't wanna drop him," she said, her eyes closing. Elliot sniffled and lifted the sleeping boy into his arms. "Thank you both, so much, for getting me through this," she said, and then she yawned again. "You're the best parents," she mumbled, falling asleep.

Olivia looked at Elliot, raising an eyebrow. Maureen had called her a parent, mere hours after Elliot had told her she wasn't one, and despite how amazing he looked holding that baby, she was hurt and still mad at him for it. She turned her head away and looked back at Maureen, brushing the hair out of her eyes as she slept.

They were both quiet again. Silent as they watched Maureen sleep. The baby, wrapped in a blue blanket in Elliot's arms, was surprisingly large for being almost five weeks early. Elliot walked over to the chair beside Olivia, sat down, and sniffled, still crying. "Liv," he whispered weakly.

Olivia wiped a tear away as she turned her head toward him. "What?" she whispered, it sounded like a hiss.

"I didn't mean it, you know that," he said, his eyes closing. "I was panicking and I was scared, it was just…"

"I'm not a parent," Olivia shrugged. "You weren't lying. You weren't telling me something I didn't know. I just thought that…after everything…"

"You are an amazing mother," Elliot interrupted. "I honestly believe that. Everything just got to me, and words were flying…fuck, baby, I don't even remember half the shit I said."

Olivia nodded. "I remember every word," she said, blinking and letting the tears fall. "I thought you wanted…you said that you…"

Elliot dropped his head to hers. "Whatever I said, baby, it was said out of fear and anger, and none of it was directed at you." He nuzzled her nose and whispered, "I love you, baby. So much."

"Look at him," Olivia whispered, gazing down at the baby. "El, he looks just like Maureen. Did you see his eyes? He has your eyes."

"Baby, stop," Elliot whispered, knowing where her mind was going. "He's perfect, and wonderful, but our kids are gonna be just as perfect, and just as wonderful. Whenever it happens, Liv. Now, later, in a month, in a year, it doesn't matter."

Olivia sniffled and looked up into his eyes. "You still want…"

"More than anything," he interrupted. "Liv, you were wonderful tonight. You kept me grounded, I mean, until I blew up at you, but I heard Maureen screaming and there were so many doctors, I just…"

"I get it," Olivia said with a light chuckle. "I just thought you might have been…"

"I would never," Elliot said, giving her a serious look as he cut her off. "I want you, baby. All of you," he told her. "For the rest of my life," he said as he kissed her. He nuzzled her nose again, kissed her again, and told her how sorry he was once more.

Olivia wrapped one arm around him and slipped her other under the sleeping baby. They were so lost in their kiss, they didn't her the door open. The nurse, with Cragen behind her, walked in quietly and smiled. She cleared her throat, breaking the pair apart.

"I need to take Oliver down to the nursery, now, Detectives," the nurse said with a soft smile.

Elliot shifted in his seat and held the baby out to the nurse, who grinned and put the boy down in a clear, plastic, rolling cart. She waved to the people in the room as she left, and closed the door behind her.

Olivia looked up at Cragen and said, "We can't leave yet, Cap, but thank you for…"

"I just wanted to see how you guys were doing," Cragen said, taking a seat. "So, uh, how are you doing?"

"Ya know," Elliot said with a smirk, "As good as a couple of thirty-six year old grandparents could be."

Olivia chuckled, as Elliot pulled her closer. "We're fine, Cap. We're doing just fine."

Cragen smiled and said, "Good. Elliot, I, uh, got that thing you wanted me to get for you." He handed him an envelope and said, "Guess Olivia's getting her miracle."

Elliot smiled and looked at Olivia. "Open it," he said, kissing her.

Olivia furrowed her brow and opened the envelope, and as she slipped the papers out and began to read, her eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she asked, looking up at Elliot.

"Yeah, baby," Elliot said, nodding. "I asked him about a week ago if…well, he did what he could, and…he made it happen."

Olivia looked at Cragen with a smile. "Is this gonna cause any…"

"No," Cragen interrupted. "No trouble at all, as long as you keep the private stuff out of the squad room. Once I told the chief I knew how and when he met his wife, he had to allow this."

Elliot furrowed his brow. "Chief Harrington and his wife were partners?" he asked.

"For fifteen years, and they were married for ten of them," Cragen said with a shrug. "He couldn't make himself into a hypocrite."

Olivia looked back down at the papers in her hand, the change of policy and procedure, and she smiled. She looked up at Elliot again, kissed him, and thanked God for not taking away what he'd so graciously given to her.

Elliot was saying a similar prayer, and asking for something else. Something he didn't know that he already had.

**A/N: What? What does he want that he already has? They take the baby home, Maureen slips into motherhood, and Kathy gives Elliot some not-so-surprising news. Review here or on Twitter: TMG212**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: What does Elliot want that he already has? They take the baby home, Maureen slips into motherhood, and Kathy gives Elliot some not-so-surprising news**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters are owned by Dick Wolf. This story, though, belongs to TStabler©**

Olivia was the first to wake up, blinking her eyes open and feeling every muscle in her body tighten. She lifted her head, hearing and feeling her neck crack, and she winced as she turned to find she'd slept in a chair, half on top of Elliot. She moved off of him and stood up, stretching her aching muscles and bones out, then she turned to look at Maureen, still asleep. "Oh, Maur," she whispered, recalling the event of the night and early morning.

Elliot shifted in his seat, aching as well, and his eyes opened. He focused on Olivia brushing the hair out of Maureen's eyes, and he watched as she took the young girl's hand and sighed. He heard her whispering, "I'm so sorry," and "I'll always be here if you ever need me," and other things that her mother should be there saying to her. He smiled as he realized, that's who she was.

He stood up and walked quietly over to her. "You're an incredible mother," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You really are," he said, kissing the back of her neck. "My kids are so lucky to have you in their lives, and I'm never gonna deserve you," he said. "I know I keep saying it, but it's all true, baby. You're their mother, my wife, my everything."

Her eyes were shut as she listened to his words, and as she felt him moving his soft lips over her skin she sighed. "El," she whispered to him, "You need to stop. I know you're sorry about what you said last…"

"No," Elliot interrupted, "I'm saying it until you believe it." He kissed the back of her head again and said, "When I called the kids to let them know the baby was doing fine and Maureen was okay, Kathy answered the phone." He looked at her and his eyes were dark and stern. "The things she said…a real mother would never say anything like that."

"What did she say?" Olivia asked, her brow furrowing as she turned around in his arms.

Elliot sighed. "She said she wasn't trying to kill herself, she just wanted some attention because all I seemed to care about lately was Maureen and the baby, and you," he explained to her. "She said she was sick of coming after everyone else and wanted someone to remember who she was and that she was there." He raised his eyes and let out a breath. "She's selfish, and petty, and jealous of her own children. She's not the woman I married, and she isn't being a parent, Liv. You are their mother now. I think, in a lot of ways, you have been for a long time."

There was a soft knock on the door, saving Olivia from having to respond to that, and her eyes were torn from his. The doctor came into the room and smiled at them. "Mister and Misses Stabler," she said, extending a hand. She shook each of theirs but didn't allow them to speak, cutting in quickly with, "I'll give Maureen one last swift check-up, and since it was a pretty easy, natural birth, she can go home today. And yes, little Oliver can go home, too," she said, looking at Olivia, knowing what the question playing at her lips was going to be.

Olivia smiled and a wave of relief crashed over her. "That's great, but I'm not Misses…"

"You will be by tomorrow," Elliot whispered, shutting her up. "Come on, Liv. Let's let the nice doctor wake up Maureen, check her out, and then we can go the hell home. I know you hate hospitals." He took her hand and pulled her out of the room, into the bright hallway.

"What time is it?" Olivia asked, yawning.

"Almost five," Cragen's voice said from her left. She turned and saw Elliot's brother with the kids, Cragen, Fin and Munch. He turned his head again, hearing some laughter behind him, and saw his mother and Alex, with Casey and Melinda. They were all there, holding blue balloons and teddy bears and smiling at them.

"We've been waiting out here for too damned long guys," Cragen laughed.

Elliot closed his eyes and shook his head, with a knowing smile on his face. Kathy wasn't there, he noticed, but he didn't expect her to be. He opened his eyes and looked back at the small crowd that had gathered, reminding him that he and Olivia were never really alone in this, and his family was bigger than he'd thought. "Thanks, guys," he said, giving Fin a rough handshake and manly hug.

Munch smiled. "We wouldn't miss this, Stabler," he said. "It's like we're all getting a nephew, little brother, and grandson."

"Please," Elliot said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Don't use the G-word."

The group laughed as Olivia suddenly felt queasy. She turned a vile shade of gray and her smile fell off of her face. "I'll be right back," she mumbled, walking unsteadily down the hall.

Her walk turned into a wobbly run, and Elliot watched as she headed for the bathroom. His face twisted into a confused and concerned expression, but Fin slapped his back.

"Ain't no better place to get sick than in a hospital, right man?" Fin chuckled.

Elliot laughed a little, but shook his head. "I should go check on her," he said. "If the doctor comes out, or the nurse comes up with the baby, just, uh…Cap," he said, turning to Cragen. "You handle it, huh?" he asked, his blue eyes wide with worry and exhaustion.

Cragen was stunned, but he nodded. "Sure," he said. "Go."

Elliot nodded back at him and ran, heading in the direction in which he'd seen Olivia run. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it when he heard her say, meekly, "You can come in, El."

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked her, smiling. He walked toward her as she stood by the sink and ran a hand through her hair.

"You have a very distinctive knock," she said, rolling her eyes. "I knew you'd come running after me," she sighed.

He chuckled and looked into her glassy eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I feel horrible," she complained. "I feel nauseous, and every part of my body hurts. I think I have the flu. I don't know how I would have gotten it, but that's what it feels like."

"Well, I'm sure we can find a doctor around here somewhere," he joked, kissing her forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever, baby," he said, tilting his head. "Maybe it's just the worrying and the fight we had…and you haven't eaten yet, since we were up till ten and slept till, well, now. Baby, it's all catching up to you." He kissed her softly and said, "I felt like shit when I woke up, too. But then I saw you and…God, you made everything better."

She smiled and said, "I'm not upset or angry. I don't think I'm hungry or…" she paused and wavered slightly. He caught her and she gripped his arms. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled down to his chest. "I just don't feel like myself…I feel…funny."

Elliot was worried now. He was starting to panic. He knew he couldn't handle it if something was wrong with Olivia. "Okay, honey," he said, holding her close as he moved them out of the single-toilet bathroom. "We'll get you some…oh! Hey! Doctor Gardner!" he called, looking up in time to see a doctor they often worked with walking down the hall.

"Detective Stabler!" he said, smiling. "What are you doing here? I didn't…"

"My daughter had a baby this morning," Elliot said, interrupting. He began talking fast as his heart raced. "Yeah, that's the face I made when I found out, too. But right now, Liv, uh, Detective Benson here…she's, uh…there's something wrong…not right with…"

"Calm down, Detective," the doctor said, holding up both hands. "I think someone over there is waiting for you," he said, nodding toward Maureen's doctor at the desk, who was waving him over with a bright smile.

Elliot nodded. "I know, but I have to go with Liv, too, I can't…"

"Just hand your partner over to me, and I'm sure everything's gonna be just fine," the man said with a comforting smile. "Go take care of your daughter and have a seat, okay? This won't take long."

Elliot watched helplessly as Olivia, walking steadily now, followed the doctor down the hall. He turned, his heart still beating rapidly, and walked over to Maureen's obstetrician, losing himself in the conversation with her.

* * *

It had been almost forty-five minutes. He'd signed all of the necessary forms, helped Maureen out of the bed and got her changed and into a wheelchair, and when the nurse brought Oliver up from the nursery, Olivia still wasn't back.

"This is insane," Elliot mumbled, tempted to go hunt for her.

"What is?" Maureen asked, looking up with sparkling blue eyes.

"Nothing, sweetie," he said, smiling at her. He tried to focus on the newborn baby boy in his daughter's arms, being "oohed" and "ahhed" at by the family and friends in the hallway, but his thoughts were stuck on Olivia.

"Can we go now, Dad?" Dickie asked, looking at his father with a frustrated scowl.

"We're waiting for Liv, kiddo," Elliot returned, biting his lip. "Something's not right. It shouldn't be taking this…"

"Elliot?" Olivia's voice, from the other side of the group, called.

He snapped his head toward her immediately and ran to her, pulling her into his arms. "Liv, baby! Are you okay?" he asked, burying his face in her hair. "God, I was so worried about you, I kept thinking that it was taking too fucking long to see if you had a cold or…"

"I'm okay," she said, pulling away from him slightly. "I don't have a cold."

He looked at her and his face fell. The relief turned to panic again. "You were crying. Why were crying? Baby, what's the matter? What's going on? How sick are you?"

"El, baby, I'm not sick," she said, the corners of her lips pulling up into a small smile. "I need you to…"

"Well, if you're not sick then why did it take an hour for the damn doctor to tell you that you weren't sick?" he asked, his panic now clear to everyone. "Just tell me what he said, Liv! I can't even…"

"Breathe," she said softly, cupping his face in her hands and stilling him. "Just breathe, and look at me." She looked into his eyes, searching for something in his and hoping he could see something in hers. "I'm not sick, El. But they had to run a few tests, and it took some time to get the results."

"Tests?" he asked, his breath catching in his throat as he realized what was happening. "And…what…uh…were any of them, um, positive for anything?" he asked, hoping he knew, hoping he was right.

"Just one," she said with a small nod as her smile got a little bigger.

He cupped her face and pulled her toward him, drawing their foreheads together. Clutching each other's heads and so close to each other's lips, he let his eyes close as he whispered, "Are you…are we…"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, putting an end to his stumbling. "Almost five weeks. When I woke up, it was, I guess, my first run in with morning sickness," she said, blinking once.

His eyes opened. He laughed and smiled and his lips were on hers in nanoseconds. He smoothed his hands down her body, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her up, making her laugh as loudly as he was. He whispered, "I love you," into the kiss, too, and pulled her tighter, as the new tears formed behind his closed eyelids.

"I love you, El," she returned with a sniffle, letting a few tears of joy fall.

"Uh," Munch said, dragging it out. "Did we miss something?"

Elliot dropped her and kissed her again, turning to the crowd. "Um…yeah, actually. We're having a baby."

Loud cheers, bright faces, and yells of congratulations accompanied hugs and pats on the back, and the group of family and friends suddenly wasn't so eager to leave.

Maureen, though, looked up at her parents and sighed. They were really going to have their hands full. It would be a lot of work raising two babies.

**A/N: What does Maureen mean? An interesting conversation between Olivia and Elliot, another case highlights some individual talents, and another crisis hits the Stabler family. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: What does Maureen mean? An interesting conversation between Olivia and Elliot, another case highlights some individual talents, and another crisis hits the Stabler family.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters are owned by Dick Wolf. This story, though, belongs to TStabler©**

Olivia was awakened at half-passed three in the morning, and her moving out of the bed woke Elliot. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and watched as she walked out of the bedroom.

He followed her quietly, and watched her walk up the stairs, following softly behind her. He smiled when she walked into the nursery, picking up the crying boy and holding him close.

"Hey, Oliver," she whispered. "What's wrong, baby boy?" she asked the wailing newborn. She walked him over toward the changing table, placed him on it, and grabbed a new diaper. She took a moment to marvel at how tiny it was, at how tiny _he_ was, and she looked down at the baby. "I have no idea what I'm doing," she said with a sigh, unsnapping his onesie.

Elliot furrowed his brow as he looked on from the doorway. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. He was about to speak up when he heard her talk again.

"Your grandfather and I...that sounds ridiculous...we're having a baby of our own," she told the tot, wiping his little bottom. He seemed to quiet, and he appeared to look right at her. "Yeah, I know," she laughed, understanding his look. "I don't know if...it's not really the nest time for this, is it?" she asked.

Oliver made a gurgling noise and wiggled his hands over his head.

Olivia laughed. "I didn't think so," she said, putting the new diaper on the boy. "I'm happy, though. I don't know what's worse, Oliver," she said, lifting him into her arms. "Wanting something so badly but never getting it, or getting everything you've ever wanted when you feel guilty for it."

Oliver yawned, blinked, and made a tiny grunting noise.

"I agree," she laughed. "I just wish I knew if this was really what he wanted. I can't help thinking he's not ready for this, any of this. Even you, little guy."

Elliot felt tears welling up in his eyes as he listened, and he took a step into the nursery. He held his breath as Olivia spoke again.

"Do me a favor," she said, letting Oliver grasp her pinky finger as she rocked him. "Don't call your grandpa 'Grandpa,' huh? How about 'Pop,' or maybe 'Nonno,' it's Italian, he won't understand you," she said, smiling at the baby. "He's not old enough to be a grandfather, so we can give him a little dignity, right? At least until he's got a few gray hairs."

"I have plenty of those already," he said, wrapping his arms around her.

She jumped a bit, but he hushed her. "I didn't mean to wake you up," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.

"You moved. It woke me up," he said with a shrug. "And baby, I am beyond happy." He kissed her neck and whispered, "I have you, we're having a baby. Yeah, it's all happening fast, and maybe it's not the right time, but it's amazing. We're gonna be fine, honey. How could you even think..."

"He's sleeping," she interrupted him, looking at the baby. His little blue eyes were hidden behind his closed lids. She kissed his forehead and laid him in his crib, then looked around the nursery. "Can we really put another baby in here?" she asked.

He smiled at her, walked over to her, and pulled her back into his arms. "Honey, for the first few months of this baby's life, we're putting the crib in out room." He kissed her and ran a hand over her belly. "And after that, yes. We certainly can. We decorated this room for our child, right? This is where he or she is gonna be," he told her with another kiss.

She looked up at him and her eyes softened. "Are you sure we..."

"There is nothing wrong with living our lives," he interrupted. "We need to be happy right now. There's been too much going on, too many things we shouldn't have had to deal with. We deserve this," he said.

She smiled, then, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "We do," she agreed.

He kissed her and led her out of the nursery. On the way down the stairs, he said, "And he can call me whatever he wants."

She turned to look at him, confused, then she realized what he meant and laughed. "Okay," she said, leaning into him and nodding. She was nudged into the bedroom, and he pulled her close as he got comfortable.

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his palms over her belly, and he kissed her shoulders and neck as he whispered, "I love you."

They were asleep in seconds, hoping they wouldn't hear any more crying through the baby monitor tonight.

* * *

Olivia yawned as she walked into the squad room. She walked over to the coffee pot, then remembered she couldn't drink it. "Damn it," she hissed, yawning again.

"What's wrong wit ya, Baby-Girl?" Fin asked, looking at her.

"Oliver," she said with another yawn. "Had us up and down all night."

Munch furrowed his brow. "Why didn't he wake up his mother?" he asked, arms folded.

"She's sixteen, Munch," Olivia said, sighing. "She's done nothing but cry since we brought her home, I can't ask her to get up in the middle of the night and comfort a baby that's crying just as hard."

"We think she might have PPD," Elliot said, running a hand down his face and sighing. "She doesn't want to hold him, she keeps calling him her little brother, it's...it's not easy."

Munch smiled sadly, and nodded, saying, "Sorry, Stabler." He looked at Olivia, then, and asked, "How are you, though, Benson? Motherhood agrees with you, you're glowing."

"I am?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she poured a glass of milk. She sipped it on her way back to her desk.

"Yeah," Elliot said, smiling at her, "You are."

Cragen came out of his office, looking panicked, and said, "Okay, we got a hot one. Everyone's on this, no exceptions. Fin, you and Munch head out to the scene, Warner's got the body covered. We need to get everything we can before the rain washes away our entire case. Stabler, you and your partner are here, fielding calls and running internet searches. Shit's gonna hit the fan," he said, taping up a photo of a vic and a photo of their suspect.

"Mother of God," Elliot said, folding his arms.

Cragen turned, looking at Olivia. "You need to get his financial records, his internet browsing history, everything you can, from here. TARU shouldn't be involved in this," he said.

Elliot smirked. "My wife the hacker," he chuckled.

"Wife?" Cragen said, confused.

Elliot looked at his captain. "Uh, yeah, we, uh...went to see Donnelly this morning and..."

"Wow," Fin interrupted. "Congratulations, guys. I kinda wanted to be there, but I see why you had to do it that way."

"We just wanted it done," Elliot said, looking at Fin. "We're having a real wedding, when things calm down, when it's better for everyone," he explained.

Munch looked at Olivia. "You're somebody's wife," he said. "I never thought I'd see the day," he laughed.

Cragen yelled, "We have a dead kid and a cop is our prime suspect! Can we forget about your personal shit and get to work?"

Olivia raised both eyebrows, mumbled something incoherent, and started hacking into Nate Kendall's files. "I knew he'd snap," she said, typing in codes and clicking her mouse as Fin and Munch left.

Elliot nodded at her and hummed, then looked up at the photo of their dead girl. "Hey, Cap?" he called, ignoring his ringing phone.

"What?" Cragen snapped.

"I know that girl," Elliot said, walking toward the board. "I...she went to school with Maureen. They were friends."

Cragen looked at Elliot, and for the first time he noticed how weathered and worried he looked. "Elliot," he said, resting a hand on his shoulder, "You have a lot to deal with. That's why you and Olivia are staying here. You're tired, and you're..."

"No, Cap, I'm telling you this girl was friends with my kid!" Elliot yelled. "She used to stay at our house on the weekends, they were girl scouts, took dance classes together," he said.

Olivia interrupted Elliot's rant. "El," she said, wide eyed. "I think Maureen may have lied to us," she said, staring at something shocking on her screen.

"What?" Elliot asked, walking back to her desk. "About what?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Nick," Olivia said. "She lied to him, too," she said, looking at him.

Elliot read the email Olivia and managed to hack into and his heart sank. "Oh, my God," he said, shaking his head. He ran a hand down his face and looked at Cragen. "We have to get people down to Trinity Prep. I think Nate's going after my daughter."

**A/N: Why? What did Maureen lie about? Will she ever grow to love Oliver? (Nate Kendall is the cop from S11 Ep1, Wentworth Miller's character) Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Maureen and Nate have been found, brought in. and are being questioned, forcing Olivia and Elliot to divide and conquer. But will the "divide" last longer than they expected?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf, this story belongs to TStabler©**

"What were you thinking, Mo?" Olivia asked, walking around the metal table, trying not to show the anger or worry in her voice, trying to remain calm, knowing that in the next room, Elliot was anything but.

Maureen sniffled. "I knew he'd be angry," she said with a shrug. "I knew he'd be disappointed, and I couldn't tell him that..."

"Nate took advantage of you, Maury," Olivia said, sitting on the edge of the table. "He made you feel wanted. Special. You slept with him and Nick found out, got mad, that's why he hit you that night, isn't it?"

Maureen nodded.

"He wasn't lying to your father," Olivia said, "And he died thinking that you had lied to him, twice. He died thinking he was going to be father," she said softly. "Mo, why didn't you just tell us the truth?"

"God! Don't you get it? It was all planned! Nate wanted..." Maureen paused, regret and pain, and a wave of guilt washing over her. "Nate wanted to get even with Dad for what the two of you did to him. He wanted to hurt you both, but he couldn't find anyone that you'd care enough about...except me. He figured if he destroyed me it would affect both of you."

"Nate planned...and you helped him," Olivia said, shocked.

Maureen shook her head quickly. "No! No! Not at all, Mom," she cried. "He and I...he had me so...I was in love with him! I told him I was pregnant and he told me what he did. He walked away with this grin on his face and told me to tell my father he said hi. I felt like such an idiot. That's when I went to Nick, thinking he'd...he'd love me enough to help me through this, and he told me he knew it couldn't be his and then he hit me and..." She took another breath. "And now I'm stuck with this baby that I'm not even sure I love, how messed up is that? I don't love my own son? God, I can't even call him that! He's...he's yours, okay? If anyone asks, just tell them he's yours, Mom! Please! I can't be..." she stopped and broke down, crying hysterically into Olivia's chest.

"Okay," Olivia said, rubbing Maureen's back as she broke into harsh sobs. "Okay," she whispered again. She looked out at the men behind the mirror, her captain, Fin, and George Huang, and she prayed Elliot was keeping his cool.

* * *

Praying wasn't enough, clearly, as Munch watched with folded arms and narrow eyes as Elliot held Nate Kendall four inches off the ground by his throat. "A game," he hissed, "You made my daughter into a fucking pawn in something you just called a game?"

Nate chuckled, and through his squeezed throat he choked, "She was a lot of fun to play with."

Elliot squeezed harder, and then Munch shot up and stepped in. "Stabler, man, you shouldn't even be in here. Cragen's bending the rules for you, don't make him regret it!" he shouted, grabbing Elliot's arm.

Elliot shook his head and let go, dropping Nate to the floor. "You son of a bitch," he spat. "She was sixteen! She's got a...fuck, man, you left her pregnant and alone, just to get even with me for something I didn't even fucking do!"

"You and your partner," Nate said, rubbing his neck as he struggled to his feet, "Made sure that every one of my cases was looked at under a fucking microscope! I needed counseling, anger management, they never let me work another case by myself!"

"You were flying off the goddamned handle, Nate! We were doing our jobs!" Elliot yelled. "I wasn't even the one who called IAB, it was..." he stopped. His eyes widened and narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. "Olivia," he seethed, turning on his heels. He rushed out of the room, leaving Munch to finish getting the confession, and he stormed into the pit of the next room. He was fuming, preparing to yell at Olivia for being the cause of everything.

He stopped, though, when he saw, through the glass, his daughter crumpled in Olivia's arms, and Olivia comforting her, tears running down her own cheeks. He took a breath, looked at Cragen, and then turned toward the window again. "What happened?" he asked,

"Your daughter," Huang said, "Is stuck in severe post-partum depression. She said she..."

"I know what she said," he sighed, running a hand down his face. "She's been saying it since we brought him home."

Cragen sighed, then, too, and said, "I'll go get Munch out of there. We have enough to book Kendall?"

Elliot nodded but couldn't take his eyes off of Olivia, her arms tightly wound around Maureen, and he couldn't remember why he was mad. He suddenly realized they were in it together, and always had been. Every decision they made, including the choice to have their own child, they made together, and they would deal with the consequences together. He put his hand on the knob, turned it, and walked into the room and Olivia's eyes shot toward him.

She knew the look in his eyes, she knew that he was mad, hurt, and she knew she would bear the brunt of it all. She blinked once, stopping her tears, and waited for the yelling she knew would come.

He took two bounding steps forward, but instead of yelling, he wrapped them both in his arms. "He was trying to..."

"I know," Olivia whispered. Her left arm moved off of Maureen's shoulder and wound around Elliot's back. "Maureen told me everything. I'm so sorry. El, I didn't think he'd..."

"No one did," he said. "You only went to Tucker because I told you to, anyway. We're partners, baby. We made that decision together. Neither one of us could have expected something like this."

She looked at him and titled her head. This was not what she expected.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered, brushing Olivia's hair back with one hand and kissing Maureen's forehead. "We're all gonna be okay." He held his wife and child and he smiled sadly to himself. "Besides," he said with another sigh. "If he hadn't done anything, we wouldn't be here right now, would we? He brought us together, he made us a family. He gave us something...something really amazing, despite the fact that he was trying to rip everything apart. He failed," he said with a shrug. "He just made our lives better."

Maureen sniffled and said, "That's a very Benson way of looking at it, Daddy."

"It's Stabler, now, honey," Olivia said with a chuckle, "And I think I'm rubbing off on your father."

Elliot nodded and kissed Olivia's temple. "Thank God for that," he whispered. And he meant it. If he had been his usual hot-headed self, he could have lost her.

* * *

"She actually said that?" Elliot asked, bringing the coffee to his lips as he held Olivia in his arms. They were snuggled on the couch, under a soft blanket, talking about the rough day they'd had, and every once in a while mentioning a baby name or two.

Elliot vetoed "Savannah," "Lincoln," "Brooklyn," and any other name that was also a city. Olivia thoroughly denounced "Summer," and "Autumn."

They were laughing at some of the stupid names celebrities had given their children, and then the conversation soured. Elliot had asked what made Maureen cry so much, and Olivia had told him.

Now they were sitting, cuddled in silence, trying to figure out how to handle things. "She actually said she wanted to say he was yours?" he asked, again, still baffled.

Olivia nodded, her ginger tea cupped in her hands, her eyes trained on his. "I didn't know what to say. I just...I held her and she cried, and I tried to get her to calm down." She shook her head and took a sip of her tea, and she said, "I thought you were gonna hate me when he told you why he..."

"Hate you?" he interrupted. "No, baby, I could never hate you. For a split second I blamed you, but I was so fucking angry that I just didn't wanna blame myself anymore than I already was, but I knew...I knew it wasn't anyone's fault. He went nuts, he took it out on Maureen and us, and he found out she had the baby and went ballistic trying to find him."

"Cragen took us both off of the case, though," she said, sipping her tea and leaning into him.

"Good," he said. "I don't wannna deal with the rape and murder or Maureen's best friend, and I never wanna see Nate Kendall again. Shit, I almost killed him twice, so there's no telling what I'd do a third time."

She chuckled and kissed him softly, saying, "You're an amazing father. You were being a protective, angry father." She dropped her head to his shoulder and said, "Nothing wrong with that."

"You want him dead, too, don't you?" he asked, smirking. He put his coffee down and wrapped his other arm around her.

"You have no idea," she answered, sipping her tea. There was a moment of silence as Elliot's hand drifted from her hip over to her belly and played over it. She smiled and gave a soft moan. "Noah," she said. "Or Evan," she said. "Something Christopher Stabler?" she suggested, putting her tea on the table beside his coffee.

Elliot looked down at her. "Noah Christopher," he said. "Evan Christopher," he hummed. "I like them both. A lot, actually." He kissed her and rubbed her belly, relishing in the quiet intimacy.

"Ella," she whispered into the kiss. "After you. Ella Grace. Or Ella Faith."

He chuckled against her lips as he kissed her again. "What is it with you and the Biblical...oh," he said, pulling away and staring into her eyes. "Oh, honey," he whispered, his lips curling into a warm smile.

"A Stabler baby," she said with a grin. "Deserves a Stabler name." She kissed him again and said, "Besides, after everything that's happened, everything that brought us together and everything that's keeping us together...I think it's safe to say that praying kind of works."

"Holy shit," he said with wide eyes.

"I said 'kind of,' El," she snapped with a chuckle. "It doesn't mean I'm putting on a dress and marching into Church with you on Sunday," she laughed.

He kissed her, again, slowly, and whispered, "It's a start. A beautiful start." He kissed her again, running his hands over her body under their blanket, and her whispered, "We're married."

"We are," she replied against his lips, smiling.

"Technically," he began, "This is our wedding night," he told her, smirking as his hands wormed under her. Her lifted her into his arms and laughed when she did. The tea and coffee lay forgotten on the coffee table. He kissed her as he carried her into the bedroom, forgetting the drama of the day and allowing it all to be eclipsed by a night of romance, love, and pure joy, as they thought about the things they had to be happy about.

However, when the baby monitor went off, they would realize just how far they still had to go before they could be truly happy.

**A/N: Next: A night of lovin' and a moment with Maureen and Oliver. And is Olivia having a boy or a girl? Huang pays Maureen a visit, too. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Romance comes with a side of trouble.**

**DISCLAIMER: Dick Wolf owns the characters. That's pretty much it. Everything else written before you is pure TStabler©**

"Don't do it," Elliot begged into Olivia's ear, thrusting into her and out of her, rocking her against him as he moved. "Don't you dare," he said, a command this time.

She moaned, biting her lip first and then his as she bent over and kissed him. "Jesus Christ," she hissed, throwing her head back as he hit up into her and sank his teeth into the side of her neck. He was making it very hard to keep from doing what he so adamantly refused to let her do.

"Not yet, baby," he whispered, shaking his head. He crashed his lips to hers and flipped them over. On top of her now, he moved faster, pulling her legs up around his waist. He saw her press her lips together to hold in a loud cry and he smirked. He slowed his pace, prolonging her torture, and he felt her clench around him. "Now," he whispered, kissing her.

She moaned loudly against his lips and gripped his flesh beneath her fingers. He returned her moan with grunts and primal noises as he came, too, and slowed his movements to a stop.

He kissed her slowly, deeply, loving the way she gave everything back to him so fully. "I love you," he whispered as hit hot, wet lips detached from hers.

"I love you, too," she breathed. sinking into the pillows beneath her as he let her lower limbs slid off of his slick body.

He pulled out of her with a hiss, and he curled up beside her, spreading one hand over her belly as the other slipped under and around her waist. "Incredible," he panted. Kissing her, he whispered, "Every time with you...incredible."

She chuckled and turned into him. "Your fault," she breathed. "Entirely your fault."

"We make a great team," he told her with a wink. He moved to kiss her again when the ear-splitting wail of baby Oliver filled their room. He kissed her lips once, then said, "I'll get him."

She watched him slip away from her and out of the bed, pull on his pants, and leave the room to head up to the nursery. She sighed, wishing there was someway to get through to Maureen. Part of her desperately wanted that boy to be hers, but part of her knew that Maureen needed to take responsibility and get help before it was too late.

She sighed and got out of the bed, pulling on her robe. She made her way up to the nursery. She quietly peeked into the room, and saw Elliot cradling the baby, rocking him, humming to him. She smiled, falling more in love with him, and she couldn't wait to watch him like that with their own child.

"Mom?" a soft voice from the hall said.

Olivia turned, so did Elliot, who had stopped humming, and she said, "Hey, Mo."

"I know I screwed up," the teen whispered. "And I know I'm in a lot of trouble, but...you still love me, right?"

"Oh, Maur," she whispered, running to the girl. She engulfed her in her arms and said, "Nothing you could ever do will make me..." she took a breath, kissed Maureen's forehead, and said, "I will always love you. No matter what."

"Even if you and Dad split up?" Maureen asked with a sniffle.

Olivia blinked. "Why do you...why would we ever split up?"

Maureen sniffled, oblivious to Elliot, now looking on from the door to the nursery. "Because of me," she said pitifully. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she cried. "Why don't I love him?" She fell into Olivia's arms and sobbed.

Elliot's heart broke. He looked back into the crib at the sleeping baby, and then back out at the hallway. He wasn't expecting Olivia to be looking at him, but she was. It was clear from the expression in her eyes that she was thinking the same thing he was. They would have to bring Maureen to work with them tomorrow.

* * *

For the first time ever, they were happy with a heavy workload. It kept their minds off of what was going on at the station; hunting the bad guys kept them from thinking about Maureen and her session with Huang, which still wasn't over.

As they berated a perp, getting him to confess, and then cry, they're minds were still on their daughter, up in the lounge with the doctor, and they hoped he could start to fix the part of her that was broken.

Walking out of the interrogation room, Elliot punched the filing cabinet in the pit. It left a large dent, and probably bruised his knuckles, but he didn't seem to notice or care about either.

Olivia ran to him and put both hands on his shoulders, squeezing once. She dropped her head to his back and placed a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades.

"I don't know what to do anymore," he whispered, not looking at her. "I don't know what I'm doing, I just almost attacked that guy in there because he..."

"Shh," she silenced him. "Relax. Breathe. I'm here, and everything's gonna be fine."

He scoffed. "You sound so sure," he said. "What if it's not? What if Huang comes down and tells us that our daughter is beyond help? That she's never gonna love that beautiful boy, or that she's gonna live in constant fear of you leaving, or us hating her?"

Then we look at him and say, "Good, she's a teenage mother." She gently prodded him, getting him to turn around, and said, "This happens, El. It's fixable. It'll take time, but she will get through this. We all will."

He pulled her to him, kissed her with a great ferocity, ignoring Cragen walking out of the interrogation room passed them. He needed something, he didn't know what, but this kiss was doing the job.

She pulled away from him reluctantly. "We should..."

"Yeah," he interrupted. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, and nodded again. "Okay."

They walked out of the pit just in time to meet Maureen, coming down the stairs with Huang after her. The doctor met Elliot's eyes and jerked his head toward an interview room.

Elliot looked at Olivia. She nodded and pulled Maureen into her arms, leading her out into the hall toward the vending machine.

"Well?" Elliot asked as they walked toward the small soundproof office.

Huang closed the door behind them and said, "She is on the verge of a complete and total mental breakdown. She is petrified that Olivia's going to leave like Kathy did, and that it would be her fault. She is convinced the baby is destroying the family, and she wants to forget its hers."

Elliot squinted. "Did she tell you..."

"She told me...a lot of things," Huang shrugged. "It's all confident, though. I told you that much because as her father you need to convince her she is wrong. I want you to bring her to see me at least twice a week, and in the meantime, do everything you can to convince her your family is not falling apart."

Elliot titled his head. "Nothing should be showing her that it is," he said.

"She thinks Olivia is gonna leave, Elliot," Huang said. "There's only one thing you can do to prove, without a doubt, that she's staying."

Elliot furrowed his brow, then bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "You're right."

Huang nodded back. "Give her time, Elliot. She wasn't emotionally ready to be a mother, her hormones are out of whack, and she's still a child dealing with a lot of grown up problems. Just be there for her."

"Always, Doc," Elliot said. "Thanks." He shook Huang's hand and left, hoping he could be the strong one, not just for Maureen, but his other kids, and his wife. He found Olivia and Maureen at Olivia's desk, laughing. He smiled. He hadn't heard his daughter laugh in a long time. "What's so funny?"

"Mom was just telling me about the time you fell asleep on a stakeout," Maureen said. "You woke up with the steering wheel impression on your face and she'd already caught the bad guy. You got mad at her for not waking you up, but then she told you..."

"I know what she told me," he said, looking at Olivia. "Why did you tell her that story?"

"It was funny," Olivia shrugged. "And relevant."

Maureen laughed again. "You've been in love with her for a long time, huh, Daddy?"

Elliot nodded with a smile. "As long as I've known her, I've loved her." He looked back at Olivia and said, "And I'm gonna prove it to her for the rest of my life."

Maureen smiled again, content for the first time in a while, and she hoped that he had just made a promise he could keep. She really couldn't take another heartbreak.

* * *

"Did you call the doctor back?" Elliot asked, yawning as he changed into sweatpants.

"Yes," Olivia answered, doing the same thing. "You sure you wanna know?"

Elliot looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Do dogs shit?" he quipped.

"All living things do," she laughed, "But I'll take that as a 'yes." She walked over to him, cupped his face, kissed him gently, and turned his head a bit. She whispered in his ear, "Ella loves her daddy."

Elliot let out a loud laugh as he picked her up into his arms. "Ella Grace," he said, teary eyed as he dropped her gently to the floor. "Oh, honey, I'm...this is...I can't..." He laughed and shook his head, and kissed her again.

"You don't mind having another girl?" she asked, looking up at him with the bright, twinkling eyes of a mother.

He looked at her and scoffed. "Are you kidding? I want girls, boys, ten, twenty, with you it doesn't matter. We are having a baby. A baby girl, Liv. You and me."

"We are," she whispered. She was about to kiss him, when noise from the baby monitor disrupted them, but it wasn't crying.

They heard Maureen's voice. "You're asleep," she said, talking to Oliver. "You are...you are kind of...cute. Listen, my Mom and Dad love you. A lot. I know they were preparing for you like their own child, and I know you...well...she's the one that feeds you, and changes you, and bathes you, and he sings you to sleep and plays with you." She sniffled. She was crying. "But I'm your mother."

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other. They heard Maureen continue.

"Until I figure out what that means," the girl said, "And how to actually be that, I'm letting you borrow mine. But you have to give her back. I love her too much to let you keep her." She sniffled again. "If you start calling her 'Mom,' I'll understand. It didn't take me long to call her that." She sobbed for a moment, and then, "I don't know why it's taking me so long to call you my son, but I will. I promise."

Elliot dropped his forehead to Olivia's. "It's a start," he said, kissing the end of her nose. And he looked back at the baby monitor, hoping it was a sign that it really was all going to be okay.

**A/N: A night as a family, coming up. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Is Maureen getting closer to her son? Are Olivia and Elliot getting closer to each other?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"Are you sure you don't want to hold him?" Olivia asked Maureen, holding Oliver in her arms.

Maureen shook her head vigorously. "No, thanks," she said quickly. She backed away from the baby as if it had a contagious disease. She had not mentioned her midnight visit to the boy to anyone, and she was acting as if it had never happened. She was internalizing, though, wondering what would happen if she held him, and that surprised her,

For the first time since she brought him home, she wanted to hold him. She just didn't know how to ask.

"What's the matter with you?" Kathleen asked, nudging her sister as she noticed the dazed look in her eyes. "You bring the kid into the world, you beg and you plead Olivia to help you with him, and now you don't even want to look at him? You don't make any sense."

"Kat!" Elliot yelled. "Leave her alone," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"She's right," Maureen whispered. "I should…" she swallowed. She blinked. "Can we just…eat dinner?"

"Yeah," Elliot said, nodding. "Good idea."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Typical. She gets knocked up. She lies about it, she keeps this huge secret for months, and she doesn't even get grounded. I forget to do a book report and you threaten to send me to boarding school."

"Kathleen," Elliot said, standing now, "Can I talk to you, please?" He glared at his younger daughter and waited, then walked with her into another room.

Olivia watched them go, and then looked at Maureen. "Your sister just doesn't understand, Mo," she said.

"Neither do I," Maureen whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek. "He cries, and I don't want to go to him. He reaches for me, and I just want you to take him. This isn't normal, is it?"

Olivia shifted the baby in her arms, moving the bottle to the other hand. "In your case, honey, yes. You're dealing with a very common, very treatable, very temporary disorder."

"What if it doesn't go away?" Maureen asked with a sniffle.

Dickie bit into a roll. "Then you got a really cool little brother," he said with a wink. "Look, Mo, family's family. We don't care that you made a mistake, and we don't care that you don't want to deal with it. We care that you're all right, and that Oliver's okay. We care that Liv and Dad are both here, keeping us all together. Whether or not you ever think of him as your son…that doesn't really matter much to us."

Maureen looked at her brother. "Thanks, Dickie." She smiled at him.

Dickie tilted his head and smiled back. "That is the first time in over a year you haven't called me some kind of nasty name," he said.

"Maybe I'm growing up after all," she told him, patting him on the shoulder.

Olivia looked at the two of them and she smiled. She lifted the baby over her shoulder, patting him gently on the back, and she heard a very big burp for such a little boy just as Elliot and Kathleen came back into the kitchen.

The middle child glared at the scene before her, everyone suddenly so happy, and she mumbled an apology as she sunk back into her seat.

Elliot kissed Olivia on the cheek, gave Oliver a peck on the nose, and looked around. "Did I miss something?"

Olivia smiled. "Your son," she said. "He's exactly like you."

He smiled and chuckled. "Is that a good thing?"

She nodded, giving him another kiss. "A very good thing," she said, dropping her head to his shoulder. "Trust me."

"I trust you," he whispered, kissing her again.

"How's Katie?" she asked softly, eyeing him carefully.

Elliot sighed, cutting into his steak. "She's worried. She doesn't know how to help her sister, she doesn't know how we're gonna deal with two babies in the house, and she doesn't know what to do now that Mo's going back to school."

"It's a lot to deal with," she said, nodding in understanding.

"We're all dealing with it together, though," he said, kissing her again. "Put him down, honey. Eat."

Maureen's head snapped up. "Could I…um, do you think I could do it?"

Elliot's eyes lit up. Olivia smiled at the girl. "Of course." She stood slowly and delicately placed the baby in Maureen's cradled arms, and the gasp that came out of her mouth was heartbreaking. "He's so light. He's so small. He's so…he's so beautiful."

"Yeah, he is, honey," Elliot said softly, his arm around Olivia.

"Guess you feel something for the little booger after all," Dickie said with a chuckle and a wink.

Maureen looked over at her brother and nodded slowly. She bent over and put the baby in his bassinet, and said, "It's not…it's nothing like…I don't feel like his mother, but…I think I love him. Yeah."

Lizzie put her fork down and looked at her father and Olivia. She noticed his hands, one over her shoulder, the other flattened out on her belly. "Who named her?" she asked, suddenly.

"What?" Elliot asked, turning to his youngest girl.

"I was just wondering," the girl asked, "Who chose Ella's name. I know we named Oliver. But…who decided on Ella?"

Olivia smirked. "Me," she said. "I wanted to name the baby after the one person who changed my life, kept it together, and gave me everything thing I ever wanted." She saw Elliot's eyes light up and she smiled at him. She couldn't resist teasing, though. "And we all know he wouldn't mind naming a child after himself, either."

He laughed and said, "Hey. I wanted to name the baby after you, but someone had already taken that idea."

Maureen giggled. "We did," she said. "We named him after both of you, actually." She took a deep breath and asked, "How do you feel, Mom?"

Olivia looked at her. "Honestly? Aside from the nausea and the heartburn, I feel wonderful." She laced her fingers through Elliot's, looked over at him, and kissed him. "Absolutely wonderful."

"That's how it's supposed to feel, isn't it?" Maureen asked, a sad but hopeful look in her eyes.

Elliot sighed and turned toward his daughter. "Yeah, honey. When you're ready, and you really want it, yes." He tilted his head and said, "You'll find that out, when you're older, and you're…"

"Oh, no," Maureen interrupted. "I am never going through that again." She shook her head with wide eyes and her family laughed. She smiled at them, laughing just a bit. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

* * *

After dinner, the kids cleared the dishes without being asked. Maureen rocked Oliver to sleep without crying, and the homework that was usually complained about was done without hesitation. "They're pod-people," Elliot said. "That explains it."

Olivia chuckled. "Or maybe they realized that we can't run the ship all by ourselves, and they all have to pitch in. Especially since I'm pregnant, and you're…"

"Lazy," he said, kicking his feet up and plopping them on the coffee table.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling. "Pain in the ass," she kidded, elbowing him in the side. She was pulled into him, his arms wrapped around him, and had just gotten comfortable when there was a knock on the door.

"Really?" he whined, rolling his eyes. He moved his feet, kissed her, and got up, heading over to answer the door. "What do you want?" he asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

Trevor Langan sighed. "Nice to see you, too, Elliot." He nodded toward the door and asked, "Can I come in?"

Elliot opened the door, moving aside for him, and he closed it as he said, "Tell me you're here about Nate."

"Sort of," Trevor said. He sat on the chair and gestured for Elliot to sit. "Maureen will need to testify," he said.

"We knew that," Elliot said, sitting beside Olivia.

Trevor bit his lip. "I, uh…I came to offer her a deal, actually, Elliot."

"A deal?" Elliot questioned. "Why would she need…"

"The D. A wants to charge her with obstruction, since she knew from the beginning that he had this all planned. If she would have come to you about it when she was told, by him, of his scheme, then he wouldn't have killed…"

"That's insane!" Elliot interrupted. "Maureen had nothing to do with…"

"She had the power to have Nate Kendall arrested for statutory rape, which would have prevented him from raping and killing another girl. She's an accessory after the fact, and unless she takes this deal, and agrees to the terms, Vega is going to have to do his job, come in here, and arrest her." Trevor sighed and said, "I'm breaking protocol by even offering the deal before the arrest is even made, because we're friends, El. She's been through hell already, she doesn't need a rap sheet."

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other, then back at Trevor. Elliot sighed, ran a hand down his face, and asked, "What does she need to do?"

**A/N: What does this deal entail? How is little Oliver involved, and Ella gives her parents a surprise! How? Three chapters left, I think…you say. Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: What deal? And Kathleen finally talks to her sister.**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf. The story you are about to read belongs to Tstabler©**

"Just remember what Trevor said, okay?" Elliot told his daughter, leading her into the courthouse.

Maureen nodded. "I know, Dad," she said. She squeezed his hand, and then looked over at Olivia, who was holding the baby in his carrier. "What happens if they say I have to…"

"We have a deal, Mo," Elliot interrupted. "Trevor just needs you to tell him everything, the whole story, and when he asks you questions, just answer them. Tell the truth."

Maureen nodded again as her father led her into the courtroom to meet Trevor, Casey, and the judge.

"I can't take Oliver in there," Olivia said, pulling back from them.

Elliot looked at her with wide, worried eyes. "Baby," he whispered, "I need you in there."

She shrugged and held up the baby carrier. "He needs me out here, El," she said. She looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "I'll stay in the back, and the minute he cries I'm gone."

Elliot nodded, then pulled her by the hand into the room with him. He sat with her in the back, near the doors, as Maureen walked toward Trevor and Casey.

It was a hard story to hear, as parents, listening to her detail her relationship with Nate. It hurt to listen to Maureen say she was desperate for his attention because he was a cop, like her father, and she missed him when he was gone. It was painful to listen to her tell them that Nate found out she was pregnant, and left her with a laugh and a gleam in his eyes, hoping to seriously hurt the two detectives he felt betrayed him.

Trevor asked her if she knew, if she was in on it, and when she said no, he was shocked. "Are you…are you sure?" he asked, stumbling over his words.

"My dad…and my mom, they're everything to me," Maureen said, trying not to cry. "Why would I intentionally ruin my life to hurt them? If I would have known all Nate wanted was to destroy them, I never would have…I thought he loved me."

Trevor looked over at Nate, sitting at the table looking pissed off and guilty. "Thank you, Miss Stabler," he said. "No further questions."

Casey cross-examined, being a bit more gentle than Trevor had, and in the middle of her questioning, little Oliver started to cry. Olivia looked around apologetically and brought the infant out into the hall, holding him.

She rocked him in her arms as he wailed, and she sat on the nearest bench, with a bottle and blanket, trying to soothe him. "Oh, sweet boy, what's the trouble?" she asked, looking into the deep blue eyes she hoped her own child had.

"I think he wants his mommy," a voice said.

She turned and tilted her head. "Hi, George," she said, nodding at the doctor. "Maureen isn't done yet."

"I know that," Huang said, sitting next to her. "I wanted to talk to you for a bit. How are you, Olivia?"

"Great," she said, smiling. "A little sick in the mornings, but it comes with the territory, right?"

George laughed. "I meant, how are you coping with Maureen? Raising her son while nurturing your own daughter?"

"It's a lot," she said with a sigh, moving Oliver into a more comfortable position. "It's my life, George. It's my job now, ya know? And whatever you've been talking to her about seems to be helping. She actually wants to feed him and hold him now."

"Good," George said. "So she hasn't told you she wants him to call you his mother, yet?"

Olivia blinked. "What?"

"We're working on it, but she keeps saying she would rather him think you're his mother. That's not changing, Olivia. No matter how much we talk, that's the one constant throughout her sessions. She does not want to be his mother."

Olivia blinked. "I thought this was temporary, George," she said softly. "I thought it was just post…"

"Most of it was," the doctor interrupted. "But as the depression faded, the teenager came back. She's not ready. Not physically, mentally, or emotionally. I don't think she will be until she grows up."

"Doctor Huang?" Maureen questioned, walking toward the bench.

Olivia stood, holding the baby. "What happened?" she asked.

Elliot kissed her, ran a hand down to her belly, and said, "She's not gonna be charged with anything, Nate's guilty on all counts. Sentencing is next week."

"Oh, thank God," she sighed, dropping her head to his shoulder.

"You ready to go, Maureen?" Huang asked, looking at the girl.

The teen looked up at the doctor, then toward her father. "You're coming back, right?" she asked.

"Of course, honey," Elliot said. "He just wants to talk to you for a little bit, make sure you're okay."

Maureen nodded, then walked away with George. Olivia looked at Elliot, sighed, and said, "She's not…"

"She told me," he said, taking her hand. "She just wants to be a normal kid for a while. I told her…I told her we'd take care of him."

She shook her head and looked down at him. "I don't know if I can do that, El. I can't handle him thinking we're his parents, when we have to give him back to her, I…"

"Baby," he said, pulling her close, "He's gonna know who his mother is. I promise, I just…I want what's best for her, and right now that's…I can't force her to do something she doesn't wanna do."

Olivia nodded, holding the baby boy between them. "How is he not going to think of you as a father?"

Elliot laughed. "Because I'm letting him call me 'Grandpa," he said, kissing her. He kissed the boys forehead, and then walked with Olivia out of the courthouse. They walked down to a café, where they waited for Maureen's session with Huang to end.

* * *

They had driven home in silence, no one daring to ask Maureen about her talk with Huang, and pulled into the driveway. Olivia carried Oliver up to his nursery immediately, with Elliot right behind her.

Kathleen took the opportunity to corner Maureen, stopping her in the middle of the kitchen. "Hey," she said, standing in front of her sister.

"Hi," Maureen said, raising an eyebrow.

Kathleen folded her arms and said, "You know they're having their own child, right? You know they're trying to help you out, but you're being selfish."

Maureen rolled her eyes. "I just listened to Doctor Huang tell me the same thing for an hour," she griped. "Why are you even…"

"Because…I wanna help." Kathleen sighed and reached for her sister's shoulder. "You've been through a lot and I've been a brat about it. I know you don't want to deal with this, at all, but is forcing Dad and Liv to do it going to help at all? If you need help, I'll help you, but they're gonna be parents, too. Liv is gonna be a mom, a real one, and we're gonna have another baby in this house in a few months that will need her undivided attention. She's gonna need you to step up and take responsibility for your son, Mo."

Maureen looked toward the stairs, seeing her father and Olivia walking down them, smiling and rubbing her belly. She smiled as she watched her father make funny faces at Olivia's stomach. "I know," she said. "I told Doctor Huang the same thing. I think…I think I'm gonna give him a bath tonight, change him, put him to bed myself."

"I can help you," Kathleen said, repeating her offer.

Maureen smiled. "Thanks, Katie," she said, hugging her sister.

Kathleen chuckled, and she said, "Let's go tell our parents they have the night off, huh?"

Maureen nodded, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulders, for the first time really feeling like things were finally right. If only she could keep them from going wrong.

**A/N: Olivia and Elliot get a night to themselves, and Maureen has an epiphany. Two left. Review here or on Twitter: TMG212  
**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Penultimate: Maureen comes to a conclusion, Elliot gets a little romantic, and a decision that will change everything. **_**Four months after the last chapter…**_

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

"El?"

Her voice rang through the house like a bell, he smiled as he popped the cork on a bottle of chilled sparkling cider. He chuckled to himself, hearing the anger in her voice. He poured two glasses as he heard her yell again.

"Elliot!" her voice boomed.

He walked into the living room, smiling as he leaned against the archway's frame. "You rang?"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him, standing there bare-chested, a pair of dark blue sweatpants the only thing keeping him covered. She looked around, noticing the fireplace roaring, hearing the light music filtering into the room. "Okay, did I forget an anniversary or something?"

He laughed again, stepping toward her. "Nope," he said, placing the glasses down on the coffee table. He took her jacket off of her, tossed it over the back of the couch, and said, "You are horribly overdressed."

"Do you know," she began, "How long I sat at my desk waiting for you to come back? Fin told me you stopped for coffee, then you text me, tell me to come home because you needed me…I thought something happened!"

"Something did happen," Elliot whispered. "I realized that we haven't a single moment alone together in weeks."

"Where's the baby?" Olivia asked, looking around. "He's…"

"He's with Kathy, where we left him this morning," Elliot assured her. "It's just us. Just you and me."

She looked at him again, curious, and she smirked. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," he said with a furrowed brow. "Honestly, I'm not trying to get out of trouble, I'm not sucking up." He kissed her softly, nudging her toward the pillow he'd laid out in front of the fire, and he gently lowered her to the ground. "We haven't had a night alone, just us, in months."

She seemed to relax in his arms once they hit the floor, and her hands tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. She moaned softly as he pulled on her shirt, telling her he wanted it off. She helped him get the material away from her body and his lips traveled from hers, down her neck, down to her growing belly. He kissed the swell of her bump, nuzzled it for a moment, then gripped the waistband of her pants, sliding them down with ease since they were elastic-waist.

His breathing grew ragged as he uncovered her body, when he tossed her pants away, and he rose up on his knees. He took in the sight before him, his Olivia, pregnant with his child, lying pinned under him wearing nothing but a matching set of silk underwear.

"This…" he trailed off, shaking his head as he loomed over her, bending down to meet her lips. "This is why I needed you to come home."

"Sex?" she said with a chuckle.

He shook his head, worming his hands between their bodies to unhook her bra's front clasp. "Love," he whispered. "I love you, baby. I need to touch you, love you, right now. I couldn't take it anymore. Maureen and Oliver, the rest of the kids, the last five months have been hectic and I need a few hours where I get you all to myself."

She let out a soft, wispy sigh as he slid her bra straps down over her shoulders, and she shifted to help him remove it completely. "I love you, too, El," she said, her eyes gleaming up at him, reflecting the flickering flames .

He let his head drop to her shoulder for a moment. He took a deep breath, taking her in, and nuzzled her neck as he mumbled something she couldn't understand.

"What?" she asked in a whisper, afraid to disturb the intimacy of the moment.

He slid his hands down her body again, slipping her remaining garment down her thighs, making her shiver in anticipation. "I said," he told her softly, "I don't know how I got so lucky, how this all happened so quickly, but I'm so fucking happy it did."

She laughed softly. Her hands grazed the skin of his muscular arms as they traveled back up her body, and she raised an eyebrow when he moved away from her, the fear that he was going to leave her naked on their carpet.

He reached up and grabbed the two glasses of bubbling apple juice, handed her one, and slid easily out of his sweatpants.

She took the glass as he gaze dropped momentarily to his incredibly impressive erection. She smirked, sipping the drink, knowing that he must be really eager, and she _loved _it when he was eager.

He settled down at her side and draped his left arm and leg over her, looking at her. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world," he whispered, directly into her ear, "And I thank God every day that you chose me."

She put her glass down and turned, rolling onto her side to look at him. "It wasn't really a choice," she said with a grin. "Believe me, I tried to convince myself falling in love with you was a bad idea. Tried like hell not to want you every day, tried with everything I had to stop the dreams…and the nightmares."

"Nightmares?" he questioned, kissing her gently. "What nightmares?"

"You found out I was in love with you and you hated me, or we would have these amazing one-night-stands and then you'd treat me like shit, they were…horrible. I wouldn't sleep for days at a time because I was afraid of…"

He stopped her talking with a kiss. His hand slid down her body and his palm rested over her bump, and as if on cue, little Ella gave a swift kick, and he smiled against her lips. "Nothing to be afraid of anymore," he whispered.

"I know that," she replied, linking her fingers with his. He lowered their joined hands with an evil look in his eyes, and he pulled her on top of him as he rolled to his back. The fire glowing to their right, the soft music still playing what had become their song, and the look in his eyes made everything perfect. "El," she whispered, not a question, not a statement, just his name.

He sat up slightly to catch her lips in a kiss, and moved her hips before slowly easing his way into her. He groaned as he felt her sliding around him, and she moaned into his mouth. "God, Liv," he murmured.

She rolled her hips, making the first movements, and held his face to hers. As they kissed and loved, the last year rolled its way through her mind. How they became what they were, how they'd gotten Maureen through everything she had to endure before her seventeenth birthday, how the twins gave up their planned party because Oliver had gotten sick, how everything in her life fell together because it had all fallen apart.

"Baby," Elliot mumbled against her lips, "Stop thinking." He carefully rolled them onto their sides, gripped her leg and hooked it around his hip, and moved deeper within her. "Just be here, with me. We have plenty of time to think."

She grinned at him, letting out a soft moan in the process, and she let her thoughts fall away, replaced by incoherent jumbles of random curses and moans of pure pleasure. He was absolutely right. They needed this.

* * *

"Mom?" Maureen's voice called into the living room.

"Dad?" Dickie's voice followed.

Kathy took a few cautious steps into the room, placed Oliver's carrier on the dining table, and looked around. "Are you guys sure they're home?"

Kathleen nodded. "Captain Cragen said they came home early," she shrugged. "Unless they went…"

"Hey," Elliot said, coming down the stairs. He was in a bathrobe, his hair was wet.

"Oh, sorry," Kathy said, trying to hide her blushing.

Elliot smirked. Though he had no interest in her at all, it made him feel almost powerful knowing he could still affect her. "No problem," he said. "The shower will be there later, right?" He kissed each of his kids on the cheek, then looked at Kathy. "Any problems?"

Kathy shook her head, trying to bring her eyes up and away from the treasure she knew lay hidden behind the cotton. "They were all very well behaved. I, uh, I wanted to ask…if…if I could have them next week."

"Your birthday," Elliot said, nodding once. "It's up to them. I know I got them, they're mine, but I have no intentions of keeping you away when it's not your weekend. I just…I don't wanna agree to something unless…"

"We talked," Maureen said, looking at her father. "She…I mean, if she wants us there, all of us, then it's fine with us."

Kathy smiled. "All of you," she said. "Of course."

Elliot smiled. It had taken time, but Kathy warmed up to Oliver, she apologized to Maureen for everything, and when Maureen answered with a hard-hitting, "I didn't really need you since I had my mother with me," Kathy knew she had to act fast or she'd really lose the kids forever. She'd been trying, really trying, ever since. It made Elliot happy. "There ya go," he said. "So you want us to drop them off on Monday?"

"No, uh, can Lou and I pick them up Sunday night?" Kathy asked.

Elliot nodded, folding his arms and moving just enough to let the top of the robe fall open. "Sure," he said.

Kathy swallowed hard, her eyes landing on his chest. "You got a new tattoo."

"Oh," Elliot said, looking down. He tugged on the robe and said, "Yeah." He smirked down at the ink over his heart, Olivia's name and his, written in swirly script inside an intricate Celtic knot. The kids names, Ella's included, were emblazoned on the outside ring. "There's, uh, space left after Ella's," he said. "Just in case."

"It's…it's beautiful," Kathy said, wondering only for the briefest of moments why he'd never gotten one like that before, with her, for her.

Elliot nodded. "Thanks," he said. "She cried."

"Who?" Kathy asked, her eyes finally meeting his.

"Liv," he said, with an air in his voice that seemed to ask, "Who did you think I meant?"

"Oh," Kathy said. "Right. Well, uh, have a good week, and I will see you on Sunday." She waved, dropped the diaper bag next to the couch, and walked out.

Elliot immediately turned to Maureen. "Okay," he said with folded arms. "Spill it. What did she do to you guys?"

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Guilt trip," she grumbled.

Lizzie shrugged as she walked into the kitchen, calling behind her, "She made it sound like we'd be doing you and Mom a favor if we stayed with her for the whole week next week."

Dickie folded his arms, unintentionally mimicking his father. "She's not horrible, not anymore, but she's not…she's not…"

"She's not Mom," Maureen shrugged. Without prompting, she walked to the carrier and lifted the baby boy into her arms. "Daddy, I…I need to talk to you."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he sighed, "That's never good."

Maureen laughed as she saw Olivia descending the stairs, in her own bathrobe. Her eyebrow shot up as she wondered if they had interrupted more than just a shower.

Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot, as far as her baby belly would let her. "Hi guys."

They greeted her as Maureen sat on the couch. "Well, good, now I can tell both of you."

"Tell us what?" Elliot asked, biting his lip. He got nervous, grabbed Olivia's hand, and squeezed.

Maureen sighed. "I worked really hard to catch up in school, you know that."

Elliot nodded and Olivia said, "And we're incredibly proud of you."

"I can graduate this year," Maureen said. "I have a lot of extra credits now, and they'll let me walk in June with parental consent. I want to…after graduation, I want to take online classes. So I can stay home with Oliver, so you two can worry about your own child. My sister. Ella."

Elliot let out a sigh, sounding almost relieved. "Are you sure that's what…"

"I thought about it, Dad," Maureen interrupted. "A lot. Katie and I talked about this, it's the right thing to do. I can't ignore the fact that I'm a mother anymore, and no way could I expect you to raise your daughter and my son while I live out my senior year like a normal kid. I'm not a normal kid anymore, I get that now."

Olivia looked at Elliot and she smiled. "Our little girl's all grown up," she said.

Elliot chuckled, kissed her, then looked back at Maureen. "I'll have some guys at work get information for you about different…"

"NYU has their entire undergraduate catalogue offered online," Kathleen interjected. "I helped her fill out the applications and she used some of the money Kathy gives her for the fees. She's as good as in."

"You did that before you talked to us?" Elliot asked.

Maureen nodded. "I made the decision, I wasn't asking you. I was telling you. This is what I'm doing, Daddy. It's better for everyone. And…I will be home all day. I can watch Ella when you both go back to work. Kind of, like, repaying you."

"You really are all grown up," Elliot said, smiling at his daughter. He looked back at Olivia and his eyes narrowed only slightly. He had one fully matured daughter, who was now a mother herself, and a daughter that was mere months away from coming into the world. He couldn't understand how he'd gotten to this point in his life, but he welcomed it all with open arms.

"Do you guys hear that?" Dickie asked, squinting.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"Music," Dickie answered. "That song…"

Elliot smirked and looked at Olivia. "Total Eclipse of the Heart," he whispered. "Our song. The stereo's still on."

She laughed and kissed him, feeling much warmer and safer in his arms, and she turned around with a grin. "Go do your homework."

The kids rolled their eyes and grabbed their book bags, filing up the stairs in a single line. They paused, each of them, at the landing, and looked down at their parents. Slow dancing in the living room, singing softly to each other, kissing and smiling, they were in their own world.

The kids smiled, then, too, and walked into their rooms. If their parents wanted to be alone, they were not going to argue. Life at the moment was too perfect to intrude upon. At least until dinner, when another eclipse would come rolling in.

**A/N: The last chapter, coming up. Ella arrives, and someone else leaves permanently. But who? Review here, or on Twitter: TMG212**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: FINALE: Have you ever noticed that the sky is so bright and beautiful after an eclipse?**

**DISCLAIMER: SVU and related characters/ideas belong to Dick Wolf. Original plot and dialogue belong to TStabler©**

Life hadn't been very easy since that phone call. Olivia watched, heartbroken, as Elliot broke down in tears after listening to his brother's voice. The phone call lasted less than a minute, but the effects were going to last forever. Olivia held him as he cried, the receiver still clutched in his hands long after he had hung up.

The next month was a blur. They rushed around trying to prepare for the newest arrival, they celebrated birthdays and Maureen's graduation, and they traveled back and forth from Elliot's mother's house to their own, trying to spend what time they could with her, trying to make up for years of avoidance.

When she got worse, and they had to admit her to a hospital, Elliot rarely left her side. When the disease finally won, he didn't cry. Not about that.

That same night, he was busy with his own little family. Olivia had complained about feeling nauseous, so he made her lay down. She was then "nauseous" every ten minutes, so he rushed her to the hospital.

They admitted her, one floor below his mother, and seven and half hours later, Ella Faith Stabler was born. His tears were given over to joy, as he held his newborn daughter in his arms and cuddled with his wife. He wasn't even aware that his mother had died until Olivia and Ella were both asleep, and his brother walked into the room to tell him.

His mother's death and his daughter's birth were five minutes apart. Eclipsing each other, causing his emotions to crack and bleed and blend, making him unsure of whether he was more heartbroken or overjoyed.

These were his thoughts, as he sat in the pew at the church, next to Olivia, holding a sleeping three day old Ella. His kids sandwiched them into the wooden seats, sniffling and drying their eyes as the priest spoke. He looked from the cloth covered casket to his daughter's tiny face, and he smiled.

There were two angels in the room, he thought. "She's so perfect," he whispered.

Olivia nodded, giving him a small, soft smile. She caught his eyes, and the light in them was brighter, hotter than she'd ever seen. "Are you all right?"

"Better than ever," he said, his eyes no longer red, the puffiness fading. "You and Ella, the kids, even Oliver. You've made my life so…so incredible, baby. I think, for the first time in my life, everything is…everything makes sense." He wiped the last tear out of his eye and looked back down at Ella, her bright blue eyes hidden behind closed lids, tufts of dark brown hair covering an otherwise smooth head.

She dropped her head to his shoulder. "It really does," she whispered. They sat, somber, through the rest of the service. Only moving when Elliot needed to get out of the pew to help his brothers and cousins carry the casket out of the church.

Olivia and the kids led the procession behind them, followed by Kathy, Elliot's sisters, other family and friends. The parade of people dispersed once outside, and Olivia led the group of Stablers to the waiting black towncar.

Elliot got in a few minutes after they did, and he grabbed Olivia's hand and sighed. They rode in comfortable silence to the cemetery, the two babies sleeping through it all. As people talked and commiserated after the burial, they realized it was surprisingly joyous, for a funeral, as they celebrated Bernie's life rather than mourned her loss.

Once home, after the small gathering of family and friends at a restaurant, everyone was drained. Silently, they climbed the stairs. Maureen headed into the nursery to settle Oliver down, the kids plodded into their rooms, and Olivia walked into the bedroom she shared with Elliot, placed Ella into the crib next to the bed, and then turned to Elliot. She sighed.

He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms, and his lips met hers in the most delicate kiss. "It was nice," he said, his smile crooked as if it part of it longed to be a frown.

"You have a wonderful family," she said, running her hand down his arm. "They all couldn't get over Ella," she laughed.

"Can you blame them?" he asked with a scoff. "She is the most perfect baby in the history of babies."

"You said that about Oliver," she teased.

He kissed her again. "I said that about all of my kids." He took her hand, spun her around as if dancing with her, and unzipped her dress. "She really is perfect." There was a pause as his hands traced the curves of her body, still swollen from bringing their daughter into the world, but still so beautiful. "I think…I think my mother knew."

"Knew what?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

He slid the cap-sleeves of her dress over her shoulders, letting it fall to the carpet beneath her feet. "I think she knew Ella was coming," he said. "That night. She died five minutes before our daughter let out that first cry, and I think she did it on purpose. She knew that Ella would need our undivided attention, we wouldn't be able to keep going back and forth to the hospital with a newborn baby. She let go, so we wouldn't have to worry anymore, so Ella wouldn't have to have her only experiences with her grandmother clouded by medicine, wires, and machines. She knew she would never live long enough to make any real memories with her, so she became her guardian angel, to live every moment with her. My mom…"

"That's a really beautiful thought, El," she interrupted, turning around fully. She pressed her lips to his again and whispered, "You're probably right."

"My mom was like that," he said with a smile. "Always trying to outshine everyone, and always living on a higher level than anyone else."

She smiled. She reached a hand up and stroked his cheek for a moment, wondering how anyone could be so deep and passionate about everything in his life, no matter what. She kissed him and moved to the dresser, getting dressed for bed.

He moved behind her, was about to enrobe her with his own body, but Ella gave a little gurgle. He moved to her crib quickly, knowing that after the gurgle came the wail. He lifted her into his arms before the crying could start, and he rocked her softly, easily, smiling and hushing her as her teeny lips quivered.

Olivia pulled a tee shirt over her head and stepped up next to him, wrapping her arms around him and looking at their daughter, calming down as her parents soothed her.

"This is my favorite thing," he whispered, turning slightly and kissing Olivia. "The moments I get to spend with my two girls, Liv, are the moments I live for. Times like this make every problem, every bad thought, just go away."

She hummed and smiled. Bending her head to kiss the baby's head, she said, "Because this is what matters now."

"Baby," he said, drawing her eyes up to meet his, "This is what's always mattered."

She kissed him, scooped the baby into her arms, and said, "Very true, El." She slipped the tiny girl back into the crib, now that she'd fallen back to sleep, and she asked, "Can you turn on her radio?"

He pulled off his shirt and jacket, then turned the knob on the stereo. Music, they'd found out, kept Ella calm. As soon as the notes filtered out from the speaker and hit his ears, though, he grinned. He tugged the tee shirt down and stepped over to Olivia, who was giving him the same look he was giving her.

She walked willingly into his arms, swaying with him as he kissed her. He pulled back, looked into her eyes, and softly sang the words, remembering how he'd fallen more in love with her when she sang the same song.

She looked at him and smiled, tears filling her eyes and love pouring from every bit of her body. "I love you," she whispered.

He moved closer, nuzzling her nose as he kept singing. "There's nothing I can do, it's a total eclipse of the heart."

**A/N: The End! Look for a new fic, starting soon! Thank you for sticking with this story, and thank you for making my birthday special by reading the final chapter. =) **


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